Dorothy Maxyne (Max) Blauvelt passed from this life October 13, 2022, at the age of 95 years and 10 1/2 months at the Burwell Community Memorial Health Center in Burwell, Nebraska, where she had resided for the last six weeks.
Max was born November 29, 1926, in Unityville, South Dakota, to David A. Henson and Jennie Durfey Henson. She was the first of five children. She began her schooling in Rapid City, South Dakota, and later moved with her family to Gann Valley, South Dakota, to a farm. She attended high school in Wessington Springs. After her high school years, she met and married Dwayne Petersen and to this union four boys were born – Nels, Robert, Ronald, and Steven. They later divorced.
In 1971, she met the love of her life, Marvin M. Blauvelt, and gained two more sons, Randy Dean and Jason Keith. In her husband’s travels, she got to see a lot of country, do a lot of things and work hard. For recreation, Max had quarter horses and was very active and successful in showing them in the ring, making shows almost weekly. While traveling with Marvin, Max actually got to pet a stallion valued at more than 2 million dollars.
Max worked for South Dakota Farmer’s Union and was also a buyer for Sears Roebuck & Co. Max and Marvin made several moves the first three or four years of their marriage. While in Aurora, Nebraska, she managed a savings and loan and if she was off one penny, at closing time, she would stay until she found that one penny. Max was definitely strong willed. If she got something in her head, it’d be almost impossible to get it out. When we say strong willed, that’s the nice way of saying she was one stubborn lady. We do believe she passed that down to her kids.
In her later years, she was a caretaker for her father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law and never complained.
Max, as many called her, knew and loved her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and was faithful to make sure she and her boys were in church each Sunday. Max had a strong faith, never backing down but willing and wanting to share this faith with everyone. She led the Women’s Missionary Council, Christian Women’s Club, was a Sunday School teacher and hosted Bible studies in her home. A special guest often entertained her Bible study guests, Max’s pet skunk, Tinker.
Max was the best cook and was well known for her fried chicken, baked beans, and her flaky pie crust was out of this world! Max loved to cook for her family and others. She enjoyed providing meals for church fellowship dinners, kids club snacks and youth group meals.
Max was known by many and loved by many. She was a grandmother to any who needed a grandmother and took many kids into her home. She and Marvin raised several boys in addition to their own children.
Max was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Don and sister-in-law, Betty, her sons Randy Dean and Steven, two grandsons Dustin and Nick.
Those left to mourn her passing are her husband Marvin, sons Nels (Susie) Petersen, Robert (Betty) Petersen, Ronald (Janice) Petersen, and a multitude of grandchildren and great grandchildren, her brother Richard (Karen) Sinkie, her sisters Pat (Lynn) Powell and Bonnie (Steven) Clementson.
A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, October 29, at 10:00 a.m. at the Bethel Assembly of God Church in Thedford.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made out to Bethel Assembly of God Church or Hillcrest Cemetery, Thedford.
