Maxine Louise (Eaton) Skattebo was born October 21, 1929, at Emmetsburg, Iowa to Mable Brown Eaton and Floyd I Eaton. She passed away on January 11, 2025, at Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center in Fairmont, Minn., at the age of 95 years.
Maxine grew up on a farm in rural Ruthven, Iowa, attending a one room country school for eight years and graduating from Graettinger High School in 1948. As a youth, she was a member of Lost Island Lutheran Church. She then graduated in 1950 from Waldorf Junior College in Forest City, Iowa, with a teaching degree. She taught school at Havelock, Iowa, for one year. Maxine later returned to college and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1972 and worked as a school librarian.
On March 3, 1951, Maxine was united in marriage to Clare E. Skattebo at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Augusta, Georgia, while he was stationed there in the United States Army. The couple was then stationed at the Ladd Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska. This marriage was blessed with four children.
In 1952, the couple started farming in Wallingford, Iowa, and moved to rural Ringsted in 1958. In their later years they moved to Fairmont. Clare passed away in 2017.
She was a member of Wallingford Lutheran Church. She loved spending time with her family as well as fishing trips to Menahga, Minn. They made many trips to Branson, Mo., and Colorado to spend time with their children and grandchildren. Her love of music gave her the theme song of “Because He Lives.” She enjoyed genealogy, reading and writing letters.
Maxine is survived by her children Mary Jane (Fred) Jensen of Arvada, CO, Kathryn (Joel) Meyer of Fort Collins, CO, David (Cindy) Skattebo of Mason City, IA, and Dr. Steven (Nora) Skattebo, of Fayetteville, AR; her grandchildren Kari, Kristin and Kimberly Jensen, Michael (Becky) Meyer, Karen (Aaron) Goble, and Sara Skattebo; step-grandchildren Sandy Sasse and Stacy Berger and great-grandchildren Henry and Haley Goble, Serenity Rattliffe, Kendrick Kraft-Meyer, and Shilah Skattebo. She is also survived by her niece Jeanne Handeland and sister-in-law Lenora Kropf.
Maxine in preceded in death by her husband Clare; parents Floyd and Mable; sister Mary Margaret (Earnest) Skattebo; sister-in-law Carol (Duane) Kropf and Margaret (Roy) Gunderson; brother-in-law Richard Kropf; nephews Jim (Peggy) Skattebo, Robert Gunderson, Doug Gunderson, and David Kropf; and niece Sandra Ackerman.
A private family burial will take place in the spring/summer of 2025 at Wallingford Lutheran Cemetery.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.henryolsonfuneral.com.
Henry Olson Funeral Home of Armstrong assisted the family with arrangements.