Maxine (Mustard) Perkins of Abilene, Kansas, died peacefully on March 6, 2021. She lived a full life of 92 years. She was born August 27, 1928, at the family home in Talmage, Ks to Esther (Brown) and Hugh Mustard. She attended Talmage elementary schools and graduated from Chapman High School in 1946.
As a child of the Depression and the second youngest of 11 children, Maxine learned to work hard at an early age. Widowed at age 30 with a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son, she began a lifetime of caregiving, spending many years caring for her own mother and a sister and nurturing her children and grandchildren throughout their lives. She was the PTA class mom and the Girl Scout troop leader who welcomed everyone into her home. She remained an ardent FDR Democrat all her life and last year called to correct her Congressman when he said that “little old ladies in Kansas love Trump.” One of her proudest accomplishments was her service as chair of the Dickinson County Democratic Committee. She hosted many events for local, state and Congressional Democratic candidates, serving her “Democrat punch.”
Maxine was employed for much of her life by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (later Sprint), first as a telephone operator and later in the business office. Recently she worked at the Dickinson County Historical Society, where, as a 4th generation Dickinson County resident, she enjoyed showing visitors through the portion of the museum dedicated to C.L. Brown, a family member who founded United Telecom, and operating the carousel, as the owner of the site of the original C.W. Parker Carousel Workshop.
Survivors include her children, Lloyd Perkins, Abilene, and Rebecca Perkins, Plainfield, New Jersey; brother Jack Mustard of Corpus Christi, Texas; grandchildren Fallan Perkins, KS; Nick Perkins, AZ; Jeremy Brown, TX; Sara Levine, MA; and Jonathan Estis, NJ; and great-grandchildren and great nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, James Perkins, in 1958; her parents, and brothers James, Donald, Roy, and Beverly Mustard and sisters Gladys (Thorpe), Evelyn (Lanman), Gwendolyn (Botz), Vera (Moody), and Geraldine (Mustard).
Friends may stop by Danner Funeral Home from 3:30-5:30 on Tuesday, March 10, to visit with family and to sign the book. Social distancing will be observed and masks will be required. Following her wishes, she will be cremated, with the remains interred at Prairiedale Cemetery in Talmage, Kansas, where her husband, parents and grandparents are buried. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dickinson County Historical Society, 412 S Campbell Street, Abilene, KS 67410.