Maxine Gerlach

Maxine Gerlach, the daughter of James Russell and Leona Kirchhoff McLain, died Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau at age 90.

She was born March 20, 1932.

On June 27, 1954, she married Harold Lee Gerlach at Trinity Lutheran Church in Egypt Mills. He preceded her in death April 12, 2016. They were blessed with two sons, Rob (Joan) of Round Rock, Texas, and Terry (Kim) of Cape Girardeau.

She attended the Egypt Mills Grade School and was a 1949 graduate of College High School.

Following high school graduation, Maxine worked as a cook for the Egypt Mills School, the Egypt Mills store and the Cape Girardeau shoe factory. For a time she was an operator for the Egypt Mills phone system. She also worked as an election judge for her precinct in Cape Girardeau County for many years.

She was a member of Hanover Lutheran Church, where she was a member of the Ladies Aid and served faithfully on the church bereavement committee.

Maxine was the consummate homemaker -- canning hundreds of jar of dill pickles, freezing many other fruits and vegetables. She enjoyed fish fries and playing cards with family and friends -- pitch, pinochle, hand in foot, etc.

Grandchildren include Terry Gerlach Jr.; Daniel (Marcie) Gerlach of Austin, Texas; Tyler Gerlach (Megan) of Jackson; Brian Gerlach of Houston, Texas; Lori Gerlach of Houston; and Travis (Veda) Gerlach of Cape Girardeau. She is also survived by great-grandchildren, Nathan Gerlach and Emma Maxine Gerlach of Austin, Harrison Gerlach of Jackson and another great-grandson due in November; sister, Mary (Paul) Friese of Cape Girardeau; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Paul D. and Mary Gerlach of Cape Girardeau; as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

The funeral will follow at noon, and entombment will be at Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum.

The family requests memorials to Saxony Lutheran High School or Hanover Lutheran Church.