Maxine Adams

Sep. 9, 1936 - Jan. 26, 2022

Date of Service: Feb. 1, 2022

BURLEY - Maxine Adams, an 85-year-old resident of Burley, passed away Wednesday, January 26, 2022, at Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley.

Maxine, the daughter of Ralph Henry “Kelly” Poulton and Desma Dayley Poulton, was born in Oakley, Idaho, on September 9, 1936, but started life living at the Warm Creek Ranch until the family’s final move to the Dam Ranch outside of Oakley. Maxine shared life with her brother, Gary “Mike” (Kathy), and her older sister, Thelma (Rod) and a specially appointed brother, Karl “Bud” Bedke.

Mom really enjoyed ranch work, especially if it included the use of a good horse. She really enjoyed cooking as long as it wasn’t venison. She and her mother would create large meals for the haying crews every summer and her mode of transportation to school in the winter time was ice skating the canal from her home below the dam to Oakley High School.

Mom married her sweetheart, Larry Byron Adams, on June 14, 1957. They lived in Utah until she completed her college courses at Brigham Young University in Provo. They then moved back to Oakley so Maxine could begin her teaching career at Oakley High School. This was a little awkward for her as she was only 20 years old and teaching her younger brothers.

Softball was Mom’s favorite sport. She was good at batting and pitching, but her forte was riding horses. She was the rodeo queen for both the Oakley and Burley rodeos. In her very humble manner she also was a Miss Idaho contestant. She never mentioned this to her family, but once when asked about it a couple of years ago, she was adamant that it was strictly for money to pay for college.

Larry and Maxine moved to Burley in 1964 when Dad started his own business. Mom continued teaching starting at Burley High School then moving to the junior high teaching 8th and 9th grade English. She ended her 41-year career in education back at the Burley High School media center after her oldest grandson, Clint Adams, graduated. The impact she had on her students holds strong even today.

Mom did not sit idly by after retirement. She maintained a strong connection with her dear friends with wine on Thursdays at Lulus, service to Cassia Memorial Hospital as a Pink Lady with her dear friend Jeanie Snow, on the Burley Library Board, PEO, and OVAC. Up until her sudden passing, she still played a mean game of pinochle.

Larry and Maxine raised two sons, Kelly (Becky Mallory) and Brett (Mary Frances Hart) and one daughter, Jodie (Brice Beck). Two other sons were claimed by Mom and Dad as well, Kirk Gorringe and Ryn Harman (Laura Bean). Mom and Dad were blessed with seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Dr. Wells, Dr. Boehmer, the caring and wonderful people at Pomerelle Place, and everyone at Cassia Memorial Hospital who made her final moments very comfortable.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, February 1, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley. Burial will be in Oakley Cemetery.

Family and friends will be welcomed from 5 until 7 p.m. Monday, January 31, and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, prior to the service, at the funeral home.

A live webcast of the Funeral Service will be available and maintained at the following link: https://youtu.be/2UdUGYrP8pI.