Dodge City – Leonard C. Maxwell, 68, died March 29, 2008 at his home in Dodge City. He was born January 28, 1940, to George Earl and Mary (Hargitt) Maxwell, at Quinter, Ks. Leonard graduated from Quinter High School in 1958 and attended Fort Hays State. He served on active duty as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Naval Reserve from 1959 to 1961, and after being honorably discharged, finished his degree at Hays in 1963. Leonard taught English at Belpre-Trousdale, Rozel, Pawnee Heights, and Sheridan, Wyoming. He received a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Wyoming in 1972, and then served as a high school guidance counselor at Smith Center, Garden City, Spearville, Hanston, Pawnee Heights, and Bazine, retiring in 2005 after 41 years of school service. He was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, and a life member of NEA and KNEA. Leonard enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping when he was younger, and especially looked forward to the family get-togethers on the opening day of pheasant season and at Lake Wilson in the summers. Other hobbies include reading, music, and puzzles. He was involved in a farming partnership for 12 years with his brother-in-law, Allen Selfridge at Hanston.
Leonard married Karen Selfridge on May 26, 1962, and to this union was born Douglas Maxwell in 1967. Karen died on March 9, 1999 after a 3-year battle with cancer. Leonard married Roseann (Koehn) Townsend on Oct. 5, 2001 at Shawnee, Ks.
Survivors include: wife, Roseann; son, Doug and wife, Ann, and their children, Abbie, Zoe, Natalie and Benjamin, of Andale, Ks; Roseann's children, Lisa and Mark Hager and their children, Adam and Erin, of Ontario, CA, Lana and Russell Ansley, and their children Regan and Morgan of Webb City, MO, and Dirk Townsend and son, Brock, of Wichita; brothers, Dr. Gordon Maxwell and wife Evelyn of Salina, Laverne Maxwell and wife Marlene of Quinter; sisters, Loree Holaday of Grinnell, KS, Louise and Rex Sorenson of Salina, Anita and Bill Bray of Hawthorne, NV, and Luella and Dick Hadland of Dawson Creek, B.C.; 17 nephews and nieces, 28 grand nephews and nieces, and 9 great grand nephews and nieces.
Funeral will be at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday at United Methodist Church, Hanston, with the Revs. Lennie Maxwell and Marvin Ewertt presiding. Friends may call from 9a.m. to 8p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Beckwith Funeral Home, Jetmore. Burial will be at Browns Grove Cemetery, Burdett, Ks.
Memorials may be given to the Hanston United Methodist Church, the Dodge City First Baptist Church, or the Southwest Community Scholarship Fund, Dodge City, all in care of the funeral home.