AUMSVILLE – Ella Maxine Cupp, 91 of Aumsville, Oregon passed away on Monday, November 11, 2019. Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma on October 12, 1928, Maxine graduated from Trousdale (Oklahoma) high school as its Valedictorian 1946, where she also played in the Oklahoma state championship game in women’s basketball. During her sophomore and junior years in high school, her family moved to Salinas, California where her father worked in the shipyards during World War II. Maxine deeply loved her country (with her father, husband, sons and multiple grandsons serving in the United States military), one of her life’s delights. She and her husband Ted helped build the Iraqi Freedom Memorial in Salem in 2006. She met her husband Ted in 1950; while baby-sitting for her sister, a chimney fire broke out and Ted was the first fireman on scene, and after addressing the fire, invited her to the annual Fireman’s ball in Salem…which became “Love at first Fire” for them both. They were married in November 1950 at the Skamania County Court House in Southwest Washington. Over the next three decades they raised three sons Dennis Michael, Gary and Keith Brian. Maxine served her sons in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, various sports, and was a loving, devoted and sacrificial mother for her boys. In 1977, Maxine and Ted moved to the Cupp family farm in Aumsville, enjoying their lives as “empty nester’s”, and returned to their love of gardening, farm life, canning, and serving their neighbors in the community of Aumsville. Maxine could often be found walking with her friends, sharing her famous cinnamon rolls, or tending her flower garden. She was a Sunday school teacher at Mountain View Wesleyan Church for three decades, shaping the lives of many children. Her many interests included reading her Bible cover to cover 31 years, watching Billy Graham broadcasts, teaching her granddaughters how to bake and garden. Ted and Maxine have 19 grandchildren, a growing number of great grand-children, great-great grand-children, and so many friends, if counted, would itself show that her life, was “well lived” by selfless service to others. Surviving family include sister Cleta Mae “Scooter” Cheatwood of Lawton, OK and Nancy Ann “Sis” Klarr of Salem, OR. A public celebration of Maxine’s life will take place on Saturday December 7th at noon, at the Bethel Baptist 645 Cleveland St, Aumsville, Oregon 97325. Donations in her name can be made to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
