Shirley Maxey

Shirley Shippee Maxey, age 81, died in La Porte Indiana on Tuesday December 7, 2010, after recently moving back home from Waynesville, North Carolina. Shirley was born to Bert Shippee and Helen Tappan Shippee on November 10, 1929, in La Porte County. She graduated in 1948 from Springfield High School, and pursued training for missionary work that took place at Bob Jones University in South Carolina and Nyack College in New York. On January 27, 1951, Shirley married Edward J. Maxey from Ashville, N.C. Together they built and founded the Bible Baptist Church in New Buffalo, Michigan. They also served at Southwest Alliance Church in Chicago before leaving for overseas missionary work. From 1956 until 1994, Shirley and her husband served with The Christian and Missionary Alliance, working among the stone-age Dani and Ngalik tribes of New Guinea, now known as Papua, Indonesia. A gifted linguist and translator, Shirley, along with native language informants, translated the New Testament into two different tribal languages. At the time of her death she was doing what she could to complete the Old Testament into those languages as well. This unfinished project will be continued by her husband and children. Shirley was loved and respected not only by her family and friends, but by the tribal people of Papua . She was a kind, hospitable, loving person, who lived her life to the glory of God and was a godly example to all who knew her. In her last days she often said, ?I?ve always tried to show people how to live for Christ, now I want to show them how to die for Christ?. Shirley is preceded in death by her parents, Bert and Helen. She is survived by Edward, her husband of 60 years, her children: Joy Bill Hudson of Oak Park, IL; Michael ?Buzz? Myrna Maxey of Papua, Indonesia; Anne Tom Koch of Tallahassee, FL; Eric Krisy Maxey of Bandung, Indonesia; eleven grandchildren, and one great-grandson. She is also survived by her sisters, Fran Bolles and Jane Wickstrom, both of La Porte, and cousins in La Porte and Minnesota. A viewing will be held from 6:00 - 8:00pm on Friday Dec. 10, 2010, at Haversock Funeral Home, 602 Maple Ave, La Porte, Indiana, tel. 219-362-3333 and Saturday from 9:30 am until time of the service at the church. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday December 11, 2010 at La Porte Missionary Church, 104 E 18th St., La Porte, Indiana, tel. 219-362-1133 followed immediately by an internment at Heckman Cemetery at Galena Baptist Church, 1752 E. 1000 N. just East of Heston. A luncheon is provided at the Missionary Church at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any gifts to go to the on-going translation and printing of the full Ngalik Old Testament. Please mark your gift, ?Ed Maxey, Approved Specials - Old Testament Translation?, The Christian and Missionary Alliance, PO Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO, 80935-3500, USA. Special Thank-You to VNA Hospice for their excellent care, especially Marjie, Gail, Sherry and Risi. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Shirley Shippee Maxey please visit our Sympathy Store.