Maxine Nelson

1930 - 2025

Maxine Kay McAllister Flategraff Nelson, born May 26, 1930 in Pine River, MN to Daniel P. McAllister and Hedwig (Norberg) McAllister, died August 17, 2025 at Edgewood Vista Memory Care in Belgrade, MT

Maxine spent most of her childhood in Minnesota; however, her family moved for a time to Imperial, Nebraska where Maxine was a high school cheerleader and graduated with the class of 1948. Maxine was very close to her siblings. As a youngster her brothers and sisters called her Mickey, and later she was known to them simply as Mac.

Maxine's two eldest sons, Bradley and Randall, were born from her first marriage to Alfred Flategraff.

Maxine married Marvin T. Nelson on February 20, 1953 in Pequot Lakes, MN. One of their first homes as newlyweds was in a rustic logging camp near White Sulphur Springs, MT. They moved several times in those early years, and she liked to point out that all her blue-eyed children were born in Minnesota and her brown-eyed children in Montana. Eventually the family made their permanent home in Gallatin Gateway, MT.

Many people will remember Maxine either from the Post Office, or more likely from her nearly 40 years of working at the Gateway Market. From pumping gas in the early days to selling fishing licenses to celebrities in later years, Maxine did it all. She loved working with the public and assisting travelers, locals, and the occasional lost UPS driver. Before there was GPS, there was Maxine.

After her reluctant retirement at the age of 80, she worked a few summers at the Little Bear School House Museum, where she enthusiastically resumed greeting the public and enjoyed sharing her knowledge of local history.

Maxine loved her parents and her siblings, and much of her travel was in the pursuit of visiting family in various towns in Montana, Minnesota, Colorado, and Nebraska. Marvin and Maxine often wintered in Arizona and California. They had many adventures in their RV and especially loved meeting up with friends and family during those trips. For a time, Maxine and Marvin also enjoyed riding their bikes and swimming at the Bozeman Hot Springs. They were known to celebrate their wedding anniversary on the 20th of every month, not just February.

For years Maxine donated her time and talents toward the betterment of her community through her membership in the Willing Workers Ladies Aid in Gallatin Gateway. After her retirement she enjoyed attending the monthly luncheons put on by the Ladies Aid and appreciated the delivery of those meals when she and Marvin were no longer able to attend in person.

Maxine faithfully attended Sunday school at the Little White Church in Gateway for many decades. She was quietly generous to those less fortunate, had an incredible vocabulary, infectious sense of humor, and a quick wit. She could pick out a tune on the piano, played a mean set of spoons, had a beautiful singing voice and taught all her kids to dance in the kitchen. Maxine enjoyed roller-skating and did so well past her 60th birthday. She was very good at word games and won far more than she lost. She had an uncanny ability to remember birthdays and was a prolific letter writer and card sender. She never turned anyone away who needed a meal or a place to stay. Maxine loved and raised six children, but she mothered many more than that.

Maxine is survived by her husband of 72 years, Marvin, of Gallatin Gateway; son Mitchell Nelson (Cindy) of Gallatin Gateway; daughter Marcyne Kennedy (David) of Chiloquin OR; daughter Merry Smith (Jerry) of Livingston; daughter Michalyn Born (Tom) of Kingman, AZ; sisters Kathleen Tusa and Gail Larson of MN, and Helen Swenson of CO; her sister-in- law Judy Gilman of Missoula; brother-in-law Thomas Nelson of Four Corners; 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dan and Hedwig McAllister; sons, Bradley Flategraff and Randall Flategraff; brother and sister-in-law, Bruce and Irene McAllister; brother, Lance McAllister; sisters-in-law, Betty McAllister and Hazel McAllister; brothers-in-law, Roland Larson, Steven Tusa, LeRoy Swenson, and William Gilman; and her grandson, Raymond Flategraff.

Maxine lived a long life of joys, sorrows, humor, love and strength. She will be sorely missed but remembered with great love.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M. on Friday, August 22 at Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. Graveside Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, August 23 at Salesville Cemetery in Gallatin Gateway. A social gathering will follow at Gallatin Gateway Community Center.

Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com