This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: marcenath Surnames: Watson, Walker, Rippen Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newmexico.counties.donaana/4830/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Maxine Louise Watson died late Friday evening, October 8, 2010, after a short illness. She was born December 15, 1921, on McFadden Farm in Osborn County Kansas. Her parents were William Troy Walker, 35, from Missouri and Marget (Maggie) Rippen, 29, from Nebraska. Maxine was the 5th of ten children, eight boys and two girls. She grew up during the Great Depression on a farm outside Hill City, Kansas, living in a three room 'tar paper' house and a bunkhouse in the barn where the boys slept. After graduating from eighth grade grammar school in May 1937, Maxine moved to Hill City with her brother Wilber, working for their room and board while attending high school. She graduated from Hill City High School in May 1941. After school she followed her brother Wilber to Indianapolis, Indiana to work in a munitions factory where she made artillery shell casings. Maxine joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corp on February 11, 1943, doing her initial training in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. She transferred to the Women's Army Corp on August 21, 1943, serving as an Army cook, in Oran, Libya, Rome and Arno, Italy, and Marseilles, France. She was discharged after the war on August 5, 1946 at Ft. Dix, New Jersey. After her discharge she moved back to north central Kansas where she owned the Wigwam, a well known restaurant and gas station on Highway 24 in Alton, Kansas. On December 18, 1948, when she was 27 and he was 23, she married Stephen Aubry Watson in Topeka, Kansas beginning their 44 year marriage. The growing family began moving to numerous towns in Kansas, Texas, and New Mexico when Stephen worked as a mechanic for highway building companies, often moving twice a year. When the family moved to Las! Cruces in 1964, Maxine decided she was done moving and they purchased a house near the university where she and Stephen made their permanent home. Maxine began a child care career initially to help pay their hefty $132 mortgage payment, then because she loved the work. She cared for and took care of many children over twenty years of in-home care and at Black's Nursery. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Everett, Lawrence, Raymond, Wilber, Irvin, Jack, and Bob, her husband, her son Mike Walker, and her great-granddaughter Crystal Kopecky. Maxine is survived by her brother Orval Lee Walker and his wife Ila of Elizabeth City, NC, her sister Edna Delaney of Plainville, KS; her children Stephen P. Watson and his wife Nora of Missouri City, TX, Linda Dixon and her husband Larry of Las Cruces, Sheryl Effler of Las Cruces, Kevin Watson and his significant other, Marcie Wright of Las Cruces; her grandchildren Paula King, Paul Walker, Robert Walker, David Walker, Patricia Charles, Brian Charles, John Charles, Camille Effler, Caroline Scoughton; her great-grandchildren Amy Pervis, Everetina King, Christopher Walker, Marie Charles, Jack Scoughton. A visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m, Friday, October 15, 2010 in Baca's Chapel of Prayer, 300 E. Boutz Road. Her Funeral Service will be held at 12 p.m., Saturday, October 16, 2010 in the same Chapel. Concluding Service and Interment will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery where she will be laid to rest. Military Honors will be accorded by a Ft. Bliss Honor Guard and Marine Corps League - El Perro Diablo Detachment. Entrusted to Baca's Funeral Chapels of Las Cruces. 527-2222. To send condolences online log onto www.bacasfuneralchapelslascruces.com Published in Las Cruces Sun-News on October 13, 2010 Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.