Leona “Maxine” Allen, 79, left this life on June 13, 2016. Maxine was born on Sept. 30, 1936, to Chester William and Mary Frances (Ennis) Allen in Harrisonville.

She started school in Yates City, IL, and graduated from the same school district in 1953 at the age of 16. She lived in five different school districts throughout Missouri and Illinois.

Her senior class trip took them to Washington D.C., New York and through Pennsylvania. Their class spent the four years of high school doing fundraisers for the trip and only had to pay for their food. After graduating high school, Maxine started her first job in Galesburg, IL, at a bank. She and her family then moved to El Dorado Springs, where she worked at the Tri County State Bank until she was the bank teller who was robbed. During this same period of time, she also worked part time at the drive-in theater in El Dorado Springs.

After the robbery, Maxine relocated to Springfield and changed occupations into the insurance industry. She worked at Burge Hospital in the Insurance Department and continued through the name change of the hospital to Lester E. Cox Medical Center. She left that position and went to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri where she remained until retirement 24 1⁄2 years later. She worked in many departments and positions at Blue Cross and gained a plethora of friends throughout that time. At her retirement party she was presented with a hot air balloon ride from her friends/coworkers and proceeded to enjoy that trip very much. After retirement, Maxine went to work part time for Burly R Jenkins Group, (still insurance related) for about 10 years and then officially retired.

Maxine was a member of the El Dorado Springs United Methodist Church and was saved in 1959. She then transferred her membership to Grace United Methodist Church in Springfield after relocation. She was also a member of the Genealogical Society of Springfield and traced her family tree back to the 1600’s.

She traveled a lot during her life, seeing Graceland, Galveston, TX, Arizona, Dogpatch and Hot Springs, AR, Reno, NV, Las Vegas and Jamaica. She enjoyed day trips to Oklahoma City for the horse races and to a few places in Mississippi and Missouri for gambling excursions.

Maxine was preceded in death by her parents, Chester and Mary Allen; two sisters, Marie Irons and Rhea Smith; as well as cousins, Shirley Swearingen, Ed Allen and Ray Allen. She is survived by her nieces and nephews – Debra Carraway of Texas; Bill Willet and his wife, Donna, of East Peoria, IL; Randy Fox and his wife, Jeanne, of Willard; Teri Tesdall and her husband, Bruce, TN; Richard Irons and his wife, Barb, of East Peoria, IL; Nancy Smith of Springfield; Jim Smith and his wife, Cheryl, of Nevada; many great – nieces and nephews; her brother-in-law, Glen Smith, of Osceola; cousins – Ron Allen of Kansas City; Linda Mitchell of Springfield; Charles Allen of Clinton; Larry Allen, IL; Betty McClure, IL; and a host of friends.

Services will begin at 12 noon Thursday, June 16, in Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral Home, 500 E. Walnut St., Springfield. Visitation will be an hour before the service starting at 11 a.m. Thursday. Interment will be in the El Dorado Springs City cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Ozarks Food Harvest or Springfield Victory Mission.

Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com.