Pauline Ruth Maxwell was born June 14, 1928, in North Platte, to Anthony (Tony, aka A.R.) and Helen (Warner) Hora, the youngest of three children. She died April 25, 2013, at Great Plains Regional Medical Center.
Raised in North Platte and having graduated from North Platte High School, Pauline attended business college in Denver, Colo. After graduation she returned and married Raymond Maxwell on Sept. 8, 1947. Pauline worked as stenographer for several Lincoln County attorneys and later for attorney Robert Crosby, governor-elect of Nebraska. She also worked as stenographer for Kraemer construction.
Pauline went to work for the UPRR, where she spent the next 40 years working as a stenoclerk, dispatcher/train caller and other clerical positions before retirement. All the while she was raising their three children, Jeffrey Ray, Richard David and Thomas William, and helping her husband with their first business, North Platte Fire Equipment. In 1975, the decision was made to start a second business with the family called Maxwell’s Off Road Center. Out of that venture came Off Road Ltd., operated in Denver by the oldest son Jeff Maxwell and his wife Lucy, and their family.
The year 1985 brought a third business to the family in the form of a motorcycle dealership, Maxwell’s Kawasaki. She was instrumental in all three business as the co-owner, bookkeeper, accountant and secretary. Her passion was being involved in off-road racing from the deserts of Nevada, Colorado, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico. Pauline worked checkpoints during the races helping keep track of racers and working with other checkpoint crew members helping drivers as needed.
Over the years Pauline had been involved with other activities and organizations such as a Cub Scout den mother, North Platte Fire Department Auxilliary, Masonic Eastern Star and B.P.O.E does. She had been a member of the First Presbyterian church for more than 60 years.
Pauline was considered a mom (first or second) by everyone that grew up with her children and by those who have worked at Maxwell’s Off Road and Kawasaki over the last 30 plus years. She was always there to lend an ear or help however she could and provide motherly advice as needed.
Diagnosed with brain cancer in the last couple of months, Pauline knew the future was very uncertain and had written a lot of these words for her obituary. The last line reads; “Still had a lot of love to give but not much time left.”
Pauline was preceded in death by her mother and father; her brother, Jack Hora; and sister, Lorraine (Hora) Bates.
Survivors include her husband, Raymond; her children, Jeffrey (Lucy), of Elizabeth, Colo., Richard (Dee), of North Platte, Thomas (Georgia) of North Platte; five grandchildren, Christa (John shogren), Gregg (Shannon), Gilbert Gaona, Emily and Tyler Maxwell; and seven great-grandchildren, Nissa and Katelynn (Maxwell), Breahna (Shogren), and Chandler, Camron, Caidan and Caleb (Gaona); and a very special family friend, Mike Dutemple.
Pauline also leaves behind her rescue dog and extra special friend, Clyde, who will also miss her dearly.
The family requests in lieu of flowers donations to Pauline Maxwell Memorial Fund.
Services will be 11 a.m., Friday, May 10, at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Polly K. Deppen officiating. Cremation will follow. Inurnment will follow at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon to six p.m., today, and from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, April 29, at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements.