Maxine Rantanen

It is with great sorrow and great peace that we announce the passing of a strong, kind and loving woman on March 2, 2011 in Spokane, WA. Maxine was born June 24, 1920 in Kellogg, ID to William and Mae (Hakola) Nearing and raised in Page, ID. She married Onni Rantanen in Wallace, ID in 1937 and enjoyed 59 wonderful years with him. Onni Rantanen was an engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad, and they moved to Spokane in 1945 where she lived in the same home for 66 years. Maxine was a seamstress who worked out of her home. She will be joining Onni who preceded her in death Dec 20, 1996 at the Hunt Cemetery in Kingston, ID with a memorial celebration of her life to follow in the spring. Maxine is the oldest of 11 children and is survived by brothers Richard (Sandra) and Jerry Nearing (Pat) of Pinehurst, ID and sister Elva (Toots) Meredith (Gordon) of American Falls, ID; her two sons Raymond Rantanen (Ranae) of Athol, ID and Norman Rantanen (Marlene) of Fallbrook, CA; her four grandchildren Echo Rantanen of Spokane, WA, Matt Rantanen (Lynn Marie) of Aguanga, CA, Mindy (Chad) Ward of New Paris, OH and Gordy Rantanen of San Diego, CA; and four grandchildren Dawson and Skyler Ward of New Paris, OH and Taylor and Graham Roe of Aguanga, CA. She is preceded in death by sisters Mary McLeod, Genevieve (Jenny) Stott, Geraldine (Deannie) McNeal and Pearl Wilson and by brothers William (Bill) Nearing Jr., Chester Eugene (Bucko) Nearing and Bruce Nearing. She was amazing in so many ways. Many of us have felt our waistbands expand under her famous homemade fudge, cookies and maple bars. There wasn’t an outfit that she couldn’t make or an alteration she couldn’t do. She was head chef at the hunting camp, the nurturer of past ailing family members, the champion huckleberry picker and the thirty-card bingo player. She was our rock and our strength and we are better for being a part of her life. Mina Rakastan Sinua (Finnish for I Love You). Memorials in her name may be sent to the Hunt Cemetery, P.O. Box 722, Pinehurst, ID.