SPRINGFIELD, IL – E. Maxine Curry, 95, passed away Saturday, April 4, 2020 at River Birch Living.

Maxine was born March 17, 1925, in Waggoner, Illinois, to Charles Melvin Callaway and Josie Walker Callaway.  She enjoyed life growing up on a farm where there were ample opportunities to indulge her fondness for caring for all the animals, but especially the cats and kittens.  She had two older sisters, Dorothea Callaway and Velma (Charles "Bud") Hampton.  Her parents, sisters and husband all preceded her in death as well as three nephews:  James, Jerry and Tommy Hampton; and two sons-in-law:  Thomas Graves and Phil Maxwell.

She was employed as a bookkeeper at Sangamo Electric Company for 15 years, until she married Stanley E. Curry on June 7, 1959, and became an instant full-time mom to his three young daughters.  She then proceeded to use her skills as an excellent cook, meticulous homemaker, talented seamstress, patient gardener, and tasteful home decorator to make life comfortable for her new family.  She continued to use her prowess as a bookkeeper to manage the family's finances.  Her compassion for animals enriched the family pet roster with various dogs and cats consistently through the years.  Her cabinets and closets were a thing of organizational beauty.  And while she certainly required her daughters to learn how to execute domestic duties, none of them ever attained the level of expertise that seemed to come so easily to her.  She was always a one-of-a-kind master homemaker which is especially remarkable given the fact that her entire adult life she was also always taking care of someone outside her immediate household.  It was that dedication to looking after the well-being of other people that made her a truly great person.  She embodied the Biblical admonition that the greatest among us aren't the ones shoving to the front of the line but those, like herself, that are busy serving everyone else.

Her devotion to serving others was not restricted to her own home and family.  She was a faithful member of West Side Christian Church where she served as a Bible School teacher, a dedicated member of the missions board, and faithful member of the Beau Knot Class.  She was a registrar for Lake Springfield Christian Assembly and supported many other missions.  She never lost her love for animals and enjoyed supporting the ASPCA.  Her life was characterized by service to God and gratitude to Him and others who helped her.

She was greatly loved and will be greatly missed by many, but especially by her surviving family.  That includes her daughters:  Janna (Jim) Trigg, Donna Maxwell, Deb (Warren) Knoles; six grandchildren:  Sherry (Kevin) Danner, Stacy (Carl) McClanahan, Jaime Miller, Terri Motley, Julie Knoles and Brian Knoles; six great-grandchildren:  Ashleigh McClanahan, Matthew McClanahan, Ryleigh Houle, Gabrielle Houle, Caden Motley and Ryker Motley; four great nephews:  Jeff (Karen) Hampton, Jim (Ingrid) Hampton, Joe Hampton, and Michael (Rebecca) Hampton; four great-great nephews:  Wyatt, Colton and Zane Hampton, Sebastian Hampton and great-great niece, Destiny Hampton.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a private graveside service will be held at Roselawn Memorial Park with a Celebration of Life at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to West Side Christian Church or Lake Springfield Christian Assembly.