Maxine E. Schwinn

Maxine E. Schwinn, age 86, of Port Washington and Saukville, Wis., found peace Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at the Harbor Club in Port Washington, where she had resided recently.

Born in Alma, Wis., on July 21, 1937, the daughter of Merle and Esther Atchison McGee, Max graduated from Hartford High School.

In the early 1960s, Max took a job at Power Products in Grafton, where she met Raymond Schwinn of West Bend. On May 12, 1967, they were married.

For many years they lived on Barry Avenue in Port Washington and were very active throughout the community.

Max was a Girl Scout leader when her daughter was young with her dear friends Jo Kowalke, Betty Schowalter, Mary Nash and others. Ray had been very active with the Landt-Thiel American Legion Post 470 in Saukville, with Max volunteering with the Legion Auxiliary.

She enjoyed her once-a-month “knitting” club with some of the Girl Scout leaders and adding Len Reiherzer, Millie Gabrich and more. Max did many crafts but especially loved painting and throughout the years she took many different painting classes.

For more than 25 years, Max greeted and checked out many customers at Lauers and then Drews True Value Hardware in Port Washington.

She would later gain her real estate license, partnering with Dorothy Thompson and finishing her career with Pete Didier Realty.

Max is survived by her daughter Pam Ritter (Gary) Bares of Fredonia, two granddaughters, Dayna Bares and Nikki Bares (Nick) Oelke, three great-grandsons, Isaac, Cullin Ray and Easton Oelke, her sister Judy (Roger) Harms of Eleva, Wis., sister-in-law Diane McGee of Wauwatosa, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ray on Aug. 20, 2014, her parents, her sisters Lois “Dolly” and Sharon, her brothers Gary, Ken and Roger, brother-in-law Odin “Buddy” Pederson and sister-in-law Dolly McGee.

Memorial services will be held at noon Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Friedens Church, 454 N. Milwaukee St., Port Washington.  Pastor Brandon Lemons will officiate. The family will receive relatives and friends from 10 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the church prior to services.

Memorials on Max’s behalf will be directed to a veteran’s organization to be chosen at a later date.

A sincere thank you to the staff of Harbor Club, Aurora Hospice and Poole Funeral Home for the care she received.

Poole Funeral Home/Crematory, Port Washington, Wis., is assisting the family.

Information and condolences are available at www.poolefh.com or (262) 284-4431.