Maxine A. Virnig, 95

(Formerly of Blue Earth) – Maxine Ann Virnig passed away on March 6, 2024, following a wonderful life of nearly 96 years. Her funeral mass will be held at St. Therese of Deephaven Catholic Church, Deephaven, Minnesota, at 11 a.m., March 18, 2024. The service will also be livestreamed at www.st-therese.org/live. Visitation will begin one hour before the funeral (10 a.m.) at the church. A luncheon will follow. Burial will be at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Blue Earth, at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Maxine was born June 14, 1928 in Blue Earth, to her parents Wesley and Mary Jane (Connery) Schwen. Maxine was the youngest of 5 children, with older brothers Lee, Tom, and Bernie and older sister Mary. Her household also included her mother’s sister, Aunt Grace. Her father worked in his family’s business, Schwen’s Ice Cream & Candy Company, as the head chef for ice cream production. He once taught classes on ice cream production at the University of Minnesota. Her brothers Lee and Tom would eventually work in the family business as well.

Maxine attended and graduated high school away from home at Good Counsel Academy in Mankato. This was an all-girls Catholic school run by the nuns of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Her family upbringing and the formation she received from these nuns made her Catholic faith an important part of her life.

Maxine’s teen and early twenties were marked with some personal loss and challenges. Her nearest brother in age, Bernie, was killed in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII when Maxine was 16. Her Aunt Grace, who always lived with her family, died when Maxine was 20. Her mother developed a debilitating arthritic condition and so Maxine lived at home after graduating high school to take care of her mother and help with the household chores. This began her lifelong devotion to caring for her family as a daughter, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. Her mother passed away when Maxine was 26.

In 1951 Maxine was introduced to a new Blue Earth resident, Melvin Virnig, who had come to town to set up an optometric practice. In 3-months’ time, Melvin asked Maxine to marry him. Maxine said yes and they were married on June 30, 1952. She and Melvin had 7 children, Steven, Michael, Patrick, Mary Jane, Susan, John, and Anne. For thirty years Maxine selflessly and tirelessly devoted herself to cooking meals, doing laundry, taking care of sick children, breaking up spats, shopping, getting everyone ready for school and church, and transporting everyone to and from everywhere. Maxine was always ready, no matter the time of day, to step in and help take care of someone’s “emergency.” She did all of this with patience, kindness, encouragement, and love. She was perfectly gifted for motherhood.

Maxine had a life-long friend, Mary Steinbach, that was a 10th member of the Virnig family. Mary was a fixture at the family home and on family vacations. There are many happy family memories of fishing, playing cards, holiday gatherings and discussing the advantages and disadvantages to German and Irish heritage, with Maxine always taking the side of the Irish (her mother was 100% Irish).

Maxine’s husband Melvin, the love of her life, passed away in 1990 at the age of 66. This left a big hole in her heart, but she was able to fill her time with family, friends, and her new hobby, painting, which she took up as her children left the house. She became quite prolific at her painting and so many family members and locals have a few of her paintings. She was also able to take a couple of very memorable trips. One to tour Ireland with her sister-in-law Ramona and another to France with her daughter Mary Jane and her son-in-law Steve, where she was able to visit her brother Bernie’s grave.

She moved in with her daughter Susan and her husband Mike in the early 2000s and then in with Mary Jane and Steve and their two children, Sophia and Gabe, in 2011. Living with her children and grandchildren and getting frequent visits from all her family were a great blessing for Maxine in her later years. Her daughter Mary Jane was her tireless supporter and advocate in these final years. Maxine kept her gentleness, kindness, thankfulness, love, and crafty sense of humor until her passing. She loved and appreciated all her care team who gave her such great care in her final months.

Maxine was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin; son, Steve; parents, Wesley and Mary Jane; Wesley’s second wife, Verna; siblings, Lee (Mary) Schwen, Tom (Dorothy) Schwen, Mary (Ken) Hennessey, and Bernie; and brothers- and sisters-in-law, Fred and Anita Virnig, Julianne and Gerry Ducharme, Chuck Virnig and Ramona Farnworth; and daughter-in-law Sharon (Patrick).

She is survived by children, Mike (Lorilee) Virnig, Patrick (Karen) Virnig, Mary Jane (Steve) Lindholm, Susan (Mike) McManus, John Virnig, and Anne Richardson; daughter-in-law, Linda (Steve); grandchildren, Kevin, Heather (Scotty), Robby, Andy (Megan), Jonathan, Sophia, Gabe, Kyrie (Joe), Nick (and Jessica), Tyler, Matthew, Allie, Lauren (Skyler); great-grandchildren, Franny, Ruth, Avery, Andrew, Jaclyn, Forrest, and Sylvie; sister-in-law, Diana Virnig; and many nieces and nephews.