Maxine E. Thomas

Former LaPaz resident, living in Marshall County most of her lifetime, Maxine Thomas, 78, 12833 Walnut Hill Drive, Lakeville, died at 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday, May 8, 2001, at the Nephrology Inc. unit, 6201 Nimitz Parkway, South Bend. Maxine died of an apparent stroke during dialysis. Maxine was born in LaPorte, Ind., on January 17, 1923, the daughter of Vern and Mabel Barber Dipert. She graduated from Plymouth High School in the class of 1941. On September 13, 1941, Maxine and Paul “Bill” DeVon Thomas were married in Nappanee. Paul died on June 30, 1980. Maxine had worked as the Food Service Director for the Plymouth Community School Corp. for twenty-three years. She retired in 1993. Her main hobby was reading and collecting cook books and she enjoyed trying out new recipes. She liked cooking for a large crowd and catered weddings receptions in the area. After Bill died, for many summers she cooked at the Kiwanis Crippled Children’s Camp. An active and caring person, Maxine was a member of the Plymouth Church of the Brethren and was past-president of the Plymouth Hospital Auxiliary, the Happy Homemakers and the Home Demonstration Club. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Diana and Larry Weiss of Lakeville, with whom she lived and her two grandsons and their families: Kirk and Christy Weiss and their daughters Kailyn and Kiley of Lakeville and Jeff and Donna Weiss of Indianapolis. Three sisters and two brothers also survive. The sisters, all from Plymouth, are: Betty and Carl Coplen, Marian Paton and Ruth Ann and Don Anders. Her brothers are: Paul Dipert, Avon Park, Florida, and Gail and Jan Dipert of Michigan. Maxine was preceded in death by her parents and four brothers: Deane, Richard, Robert and Roger and an infant granddaughter. Visitation with the family will be on Thursday, May 10, 2001, from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. Funeral services for Maxine will be at 11 a.m., Friday, May 11, 2001, in the Plymouth Church of the Brethren, 1130 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. The Rev. Dave Kerkove, pastor of the church, will officiate. Burial will be in New Oakhill Cemetery. Memorial gifts in Maxine’s memory may be made to the Plymouth church of the Brethren.