Maxine Harter Imm

Maxine Harter Imm quietly slipped from the presence of her daughters into the presence of her Lord on Sunday, August 7, 2011, while a patient of Community Health Professionals Inpatient Hospice. Maxine was born on July 4, 1931, in Wauseon, Ohio, to Oliver Carl and Ivah Wise. She battled polio as a child and spent a year in an iron lung. Once treatment was completed she had to relearn how to walk. During that time, she discovered a talent for and a love of drawing, especially caricatures. She became a published artist at the age of 15. Maxine’s vocation was the beauty business. As a hairstylist and beauty consultant she combined both her artistic talent and her love for people in a meaningful way. A graduate of Ravenscroft Beauty College, she spent 51 years building a successful business career, as well as investing herself in the lives of her customers at Maxine’s Hair Design and Tanning. Many of those customers became lifelong friends. Maxine married Melvin G. Harter on July 1, 1951, and was a faithful, loving wife to him until his death on August 5, 1980. She married Merle J. Imm on August 6, 1982, and lovingly embraced his family as her own. When Merle was diagnosed with dementia, she became his caretaker as well as his wife and cared for him until his death in November 2009. Maxine was a member of Life Changing Realities Fellowship and the National Cosmetology Association and a past member of the Edgerton Chamber of Commerce. Survivors include her daughters, Kathy (Bruce) Maxwell, of Harrison, Ohio, Melanie (Pete) Kaiser and Christine (Mark) Elders, both of Edgerton, Ohio, and Peggy (Todd) Lightner, of Byron, Minnesota. Also surviving are her stepchildren, James Harter, of Brooklyn, New York, Celestine (David) O’Sullivan, of Alicante, Spain, Neal (Sandy) Imm and daughter-in-law, Barb Imm, both of Edgerton. She was a loving grandma and stepgrandma to Joel (Sara) Maxwell, Jeff (Katie) Maxwell, Ryan (Ashley) Maxwell, Joshua and Chivonn Keppeler, Amanda (Jack) Matson, Jesse (Desirae) Elders, Aaron and Ashley Lightner, Lorraine Kill, Richard O’Sullivan, Alan and Austin Imm, Doug (Tonya) Imm and Mike (Kim) Imm. She is also survived by fifteen great-grandchildren, three sisters, Willadean Harvey, of Phoenix, Arizona, Evilo Smith, of Bryan, Ohio, and Sharon Stotz, of Edgerton, and two brothers, Jim Wise, in South Carolina, and Richard Wise, of Defiance, Ohio. Her two husbands, an infant son, Jeffrey, her stepson, Mark, and her great-granddaughter, Haley, preceded Maxine in death. She was a woman of grace, beauty and compassion toward all she met and she will be greatly missed. A service celebrating her life will be held at Life Changing Realities Fellowship, Edgerton, on Saturday, August 13, at 11:00 A.M. The family will receive condolences from 10:00 A.M. until the time of service. Suggested donations are to Life Changing Realities food pantry or to the Edgerton Food Bank. Krill Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.