Maxine Sargent

(Pearl) Maxine Sargent, 98, of Rushville, passed away at 7:00 AM, Tuesday, June 23, 2020, at Rushville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rushville.

She was born on February 5, 1922, in Camden, the daughter of Melvin F. and (Hattie) Hazel (Anderson) Vaughn.  She married Henry J. Sargent on August 28, 1941 at the Camden United Methodist Church.   He preceded her in death on April 10, 2008.

Surviving are three daughters, Joyce (Terry) Williams of Rushville, Janet Shelts of Jacksonville, Donna Sargent of Rushville, daughter-in-law Diana Sargent of Stillwater, OK and son-in-law Cecil Vancil of Macomb.  Also surviving are twelve grandchildren Shayla Sargent of Springfield, Lynn Sargent of Portland, OR, Nancy (Mike) Johnson of Stillwater, OK, Pam (Chris) Morris of Oklahoma City, OK, Brian (Raquel) Sargent of Oklahoma City, OK, Mark Williams of Rushville, Denise Shelts of Jacksonville, Michael Shelts of Jacksonville, Amy Walker of LaHarpe, Aaron (Tara) Vancil of St. Cloud, FL, Carrie (Todd) Derksen, of Greenville, WI,  and Abbey Walters of Naperville, ten great grandchildren are Christopher Hicks of Stillwater, OK, Cody Sargent of Oklahoma City, OK, Colton and Carson Walker of LaHarpe, McKenna, Hudson, Harper, and Elliotte Vancil of St. Cloud, FL and Wyatt and Lexi Derksen of Greenville, WI.  She is also survived by two brothers Keith and Eldon (Irene) Vaughn all of Rushville and sister Dorothy Small of Rockford, brother-in-law Gene Ralston of Rushville, and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by sons Lelin Sargent of Rushville (2014) and Leslie Sargent of Stillwater, OK (2017), and daughter Doris Vancil of Bushnell (2016), two sisters Vivian Ruth Vaughn and Shirley Ralston, and three brothers, Sterling and Willard Vaughn and an infant.

Maxine attended schools in Camden and graduated in 1939, from the three-year Camden High School.  She then completed her senior year and graduated with the class of 1940 from Rushville High School.  She worked at Logan Book Store in Rushville before her marriage.  After her marriage, she worked with her husband on the family farm.

Maxine was active in her community.  She was a past president of Schuyler-Brown Extension, a past president of Rushville Federation of Women, a Retired Senior Volunteer member for 23 years, a CMH auxiliary member and juice cart volunteer for 43 years.  She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Rushville since 1941. She made and sent her dried and pressed flower cards as an outreach ministry of the church for many years.  For the past four years, she was a resident at Culbertson Gardens later Country Gardens in Rushville, where she made many new friends, and kept her independence. She was a mom, grandma, great grandma, sister, friend, phone talker, traveler, seamstress, gardener, Som-R-Set card player, White Oak neighbor, chef, bird watcher, family historian, and a farm wife at heart.  Her family was most important to her and will cherish many fond memories.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, June 26, 2020, at the Rushville City Cemetery, with Pastor Stacy Tomich officiating.  Interment will follow.  A video recording of the service will be posted on the funeral home website following the service. Friends are invited to visit Wood Funeral Home in Rushville to sign the register book and leave memorial contributions to either Culbertson Memorial Hospital Foundation or the First United Methodist Church in Rushville.