Maxine Phyllis (Matejka) Bowen entered Heaven on October 15, 2020 only 10 weeks after her husband. She was surrounded by family in Fort Collins, CO. Maxine was born on June 25, 1932 in Pierre, SD to Leonard C. and Evalyn (Bowman) Matejka, and also welcomed home by big sister, Charlene. After spending her early years in SD with many cousins, her family moved to Fort Collins. There, she grew up as a Lambkin at FCHS while her dad owned and operated Mack’s Auto Supply.
Maxine met her future lifelong partner, Don Bowen, at a dance in Waverly. The couple was married on March 10, 1951 in Cheyenne, WY, and began their 69 year adventure together. Don’s WY Air National Guard unit was activated to Clovis, NM, and there they had their first child, Kathy. Then it was back to Cheyenne where they had another daughter, Paula, and a son, Doug. In addition to raising these three kids, Maxine worked outside of the home, sewed many of the girls’ clothes from ruffled dresses to wedding dresses, and always had breakfast and dinner meals (as a family) around the diningroom table. She laughed, encouraged, taught us to cook and clean, danced with Don for 50+ years,and was always ready for a shopping trip, even those 6:00 am sprees on numerous Black Fridays. Max loved drives, whether to spend holidays with family, to watch her grandchildren play sports, to Branson, MO for some country music, to the “hill,” or just for a ride through the countryside.
She was a hard worker starting at Ladd’s Covered Wagon, to the bakery, and on to Woodward Governor. She was also the assistant at the CSU forestry library, and then joined Don in the restaurant business in 1973. This business gave them more travel/driving time from Arizona to the midwest, and back to CO. Maxine then worked at Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, and finally 17 years taking hearings for judges at the SSA. She drove from Colorado Springs to Denver and back daily, and then often followed the weekly commute with a trip to Gering, NE where she and Don owned/operated the Country Kitchen. Yes, she and Don did not let any moss grow under their feet.
Maxine was a beautiful, strong, independent woman with a bit of spice and outspokenness. She could always stretch a meal for drop-in guests. She loved having her “chicks” together. And as the years passed, her family grew adding five grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Maxine had a beautiful smile and a twinkle in her eyes. She will be missed by her family, but has been reunited with her best friend.
Maxine is survived by her daughters, Kathy Lewis (Mark) of Windsor, CO and Paula Ford (Don) of Pagosa Springs, CO. and her son, Doug Bowen (Kathy) of Pagosa Springs, CO. In addition, she is survived by her grandkids, Brian Gronewoller (Morgan), Keith Gronewoller (Suzanna), Rachelle Smith (Tyler), Ashley Iverson (Davey), and Brett Lewis. Her great-grandchildren include Peyton, Parker, and Taylor Gronewoller, Julia, Chloe, and Daniel Gronewoller, Lexi, Nixon, and Max Smith, and Dawson Matejka, Raleigh, Beatice, and Harriet Iverson.
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