Maxine Francis

When a man plants a seed, it grows and blooms. When God plants a seed, it does much more. Born in Quimby, Iowa, on March 12, 1923, a girl of 11 named Maxine Bernice Staber became a delicate flower to our Earth. Maxine's mother passed away when she was only 5 years old, and her father at the age of 11. With an eager heart and determined mind, Maxine joined the Navy and made newspapers as she was the first to join the military as a threesome sisterhood. Meeting her husband Ralph Edward Francis 1925-1992, they married and were blessed with 6 children, Teresa Francis, Lynn Francis, Martin Francis, Thomas Francis, Mary Francis, and Lawrence Francis. All children, still here today, gather to celebrate the life of a rose. Most roses do not live past 2 weeks. Our Rose lived 86 golden years. Her spirit, tender as the petals, her protection, strong as the thorns, and her everlasting love, as long as the stem made her the most unforgettable rose of all. Like the rose in Beauty and the Beast, she shined and bloomed as she pleased. But slowly, her petals fell away. We gather here today, as we witness the last petal fall in its everlasting glory. You will be missed Maxing B. Francis, may you rest in peace.