Maxine Helen Sheldon peacefully slipped away Sunday, April 19, 2020, at home after a lengthy and debilitating illness, with family, friends, and beloved service dog Chai (Helping Paws) at her side.
Born August 28, 1947, to William and Alvina (Svendsen) Guida in Tyler, Minn., Maxine graduated from Park Rapids High School in May of 1965, then completed nurses’ training at Glenwood Hills Hospitals School of Practical Nursing July of 1966. She met and married the love of her life, James Ellis Sheldon, in Park Rapids then raised their three children on their hobby farm in Marine-on-St. Croix, finally enjoying retirement at their picturesque home in rural Chatfield.
Her early family years included foster parenting, neo-natal intensive care nursing, raising Grade A dairy goats, and volunteering thousands of hours to numerous organizations including the American Dairy Goat Assn., the MN Dairy Goat Assn., the MN State Fair Dairy Goat Program, MN 4-H Programs, and the MN Gopher Goat Gossip newsletter and many more.
As her family grew, Maxine flourished in her talents within the medical field, achieving local recognition within the MN Patient Representatives Assn. by creating and implementing the Customer Advocacy Group at HealthEast Care System. She meticulously trained her team to assist those who needed her unique navigational skills within the particularly cumbersome world of medical bills and paperwork. She finally retired from HealthEast in 2010 to join her devoted husband in retirement with their three adorable Schnauzers.
As her worn body slowly challenged her daily, Maxine continued to give of herself within the Mayo Clinic Hospital Methodist Campus Volunteers. Her love for infants continued as she used her knitting skills to create lovely baby blankets for the newborns.
Maxine was strong and devoted, yet loving, gentle and ever so kind to all she encountered. She excelled at anything she put her mind to and lived an extraordinarily remarkable life, having an immeasurable impact on countless lives — both human and animal. She was an excellent role model, a loving wife and an adored mother; she will be profoundly missed.
Maxine is survived by her faithful service dog Chai, her three children: Kari Sheldon of St. Paul, Marc (Cindy) Sheldon of Rush City, and Heidi (Jeff) Willcocks of Mora; and her sister Jeannie (Ron) Skeesick of Hackensack.
Maxine is preceded in death by her devoted husband, her loving parents, and dearly missed cousins and extended family. A celebration of her life is planned for a later date. Memorials may be made in her name and in honor of Chai to: Helping Paws, P.O. Box 634, Hopkins, Minn. 55343.
Laura Poquette says
Maxine was a gem of a lady I met while working at HealthEast. We were a team at HealthEast helping patients and seeing the gratitude I. The face was all we needed! She motivated me at work and my personal life to the point I went back to school and became a LPN last year. RIP- God took another Angel home!
LP