Obituary for Maxine Madeline Steffens Maxine Madeline Crowson, 97, was born at home in Dover MN on November 21, 1920. She died Sunday, April 15, 2018 at Cottagewood Senior Communities in Rochester. She spent her early years on a farm near St. Charles with her parents, Alfred and Cora Crowson, and siblings Lawrence, Gerald (Ty), and Irene.
She contracted polio at 11 and was bedridden for two years. Her mother helped her regain the ability to walk by wrapping her legs in hot wool blankets and daily massage. Her formal education ended at an early age, but she was a lifelong learner who loved to read.
Maxine married Laurence Steffens on June 26, 1939. They had eight children. Dad died in 1999.
They lost Kim in infancy and Tom at age 12 to drowning. Eldest daughter Sharon died in 2014. She is survived by sons Richard (Ella) of Maricopa, AZ; Michael (Joan) of Owatonna; and Scott (Fay) of Prescott, AZ.
Daughters Jill (Brad) Lines of Indio, CA; and Lori (Mike) Coutier of Dover. She is also survived by her brother, Ty Crowson, 15 grandchildren, many great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. We enjoyed many years of camping with extended family at ‘the Land’ near Lake City.
After dad’s retirement from the Rochester Fire Department, they lived in Taos, NM for two years. Maxine loved spending the winters in San Diego with their grandchildren. As children, our fondest memories of our mom were spent reading, cooking, eating, and just talking.
Mom was the best listener and instinctively knew how to make us feel better with her own mixture of humility, common sense, true wisdom, and lots of humor. Mom has lived at Cottagewood Cottages for the past 11 years. Our family would like to thank the staff at Cottagewood for her care during this time.
Particularly Phyllis, Julie, Carol and Hannah who became part of our family. Thank you for your love and compassion, we are forever indebted to you. During her last days, her Lewy Body dementia disease took over and she was comforted with the help of Heartland Hospice.
We are grateful for Katie’s experience and sharing her knowledge about the disease. Our mother was a peaceful beautiful soul and she will be greatly missed by all who had the blessing of knowing her. She will be in our thoughts often, and our hearts always.
A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 from 4-6 pm, with a short memorial service starting at 6 pm at Mahn Family Funeral Home – Rochester Chapel, 1624 37th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Maxine’s name to the Lewy Body Dementia Association for research into causes and cures. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Maxine Madeline Steffens please visit our Sympathy Store.
Upcoming Events Graveside 2018 MAY 25 Grandview Memorial Gardens 1300 Marion Road SE Rochester, MN, US, 55904 Previous Events Visitation 2018 MAY 23. 04:00 PM – 06:00 PM Mahn Family Funeral Home, Rochester Chapel 1624 37th Street NW Rochester, MN, US, 55901 Memorial 2018 MAY 23.
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