Maxine Mable (Collins) MCKINESS

MCKINESS, COLLINS, VEEDER, PEREZ, MCKINESS-PEREZ, BUTLER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/9/2008 at 09:26:43

MASON CITY - Maxine Mabel McKiness, 87, died Saturday (July 5, 2008) at the Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City. Upon her wishes, her body was cremated and there are no services planned at this time. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Hospice of North Iowa.

Maxine M. Collins was born July 27, 1920, in Belmond, the daughter of the late William and Mabel (Veeder) Collins. She was very proud of this fact and if she talked to anyone long enough she would find some relation linked back to Belmond. Her family would always joke that everyone was related to someone who came from Belmond. Maxine moved to Mason City in 1934 and graduated from Mason City High School in 1938. She married Robert E. McKiness on Dec. 29, 1939. Together they started McKiness Landscaping Service that later became McKiness Excavating Inc. Maxine was the bookkeeper, receptionist, human resource manager and P.R. representative at McKiness Excavating Inc. She was also a full-time mother to five boys. Maxine loved playing volleyball on the "OWLS" and getting together with her friends playing cards at birthday club, watching deer and wildlife, and taking brisk walks in the morning. Earlier in her life, her love was downhill skiing in Colorado and boating on the Mississippi River with family and friends. In later years she loved going south with her husband, Bob, to Reddington Long Pier in Florida during the cold winter months and going north to their cabin on Namikan Lake in northern Minnesota in the summer. Her greatest gift was just talking to people and getting to know them. She could make friends out of strangers in a short period of time. She touched everyone she met in at least a small way. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her husband, Robert E. McKiness, of Mason City; her sons, R. Michael (Pam) McKiness, of Clear Lake, Jack McKiness of Mason City, Robert H. (Suzan) McKiness of Mason City and Craig McKiness of Mason City; grandchildren, Sonja McKiness-Perez, of Phoenix, Ariz., Garett McKiness and Keely McKiness, of Mason City; great-grandchild, Michael Perez, of Phoenix, Ariz.; brother, Duane Collins, of Clear Lake; and sister, Darlene Butler, of Kensett. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, David Collins; and her son, Douglas R. McKiness.

Arrangements are with Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa
July 9, 2008