Mary Maxine Yates was born in September of 1930, to Leonard and Belle Yates in Kempner, TX. The fourth sibling of two sons and four daughters, Maxine grew up near Eldorado, OK, and attended school there. After graduation, she worked toward her Associate Degree in Art at Abilene Christian (College) University, where she married Eugene Dail Griffin on August 26, 1950.
They lived in Yuma, AZ, where Dail was stationed as PFC in the US Army, then moved to Lubbock, TX in 1953. They attended Colgate Church of Christ, then became charter members of Parkway Drive Church of Christ upon its establishment in 1956.
Maxine worked as an overflow classroom teacher at Roosevelt Rural School in the late ‘50’s and ‘60’s, and as a loved school librarian at Bozeman Elementary School in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Together with Dail, they owned and operated Griffin’s Vegetable Farm in the ‘70’s, and D&M Crafts in the ‘80’s. Maxine’s creativity was shown in her art, painting, calligraphy, sewing skills, and crafts. She made materials for and taught numerous children’s and ladies’ classes at Parkway Drive and for mission trips, and she and Dail did summer missionary work in Maine and in New York.
Loving children surviving Maxine are Carol Marie Griffin Givens (spouse Randy) of Cincinnati, OH; Donna Rose Griffin Canada (spouse Don) of Artesia, NM; and Larry Dail Griffin (spouse Jo) of Lubbock.
After Dail’s death in 1990, Maxine married David Vaughn Fultz in October of 1994, and they lived in Lubbock for 16 years. Maxine recently resided at Wilshire Place Assisted Living in Lubbock. Her grandchildren are Mary Givens Gould (spouse Brian), Anna Givens, Autumn Canada Rodriguez (spouse Jon), and she has two step-grandchildren, Don and Eric Canada, and four great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters, Othella Yates Reed of Columbia, MO, and Bertha Yates Jones of Clinton, OK; three step-children, Donna Fultz Veale, Beth Fultz Wiggains, and Dave Fultz, and their spouses, children and grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Maxine was also known as Mom and Grandma to many other young people throughout her life, like Elizabeth Turner (spouse Doc) and her children and grandchildren, as she shared her love with everyone.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, a sister, and both husbands. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Hospice agency of your choice.
