Max George Christie

   Max G. Christie, 68, of the Meservey,, IA, area, most recently a resident of the Westview Care Center, Britt, IA, died, April 28, 2019, at the Westview Care Center, Britt.  Public graveside services will be Saturday, June 1, 2019, with full military honors provided by the Klemme Miltary Unit at the Ell Township Cemetery in Klemme.  A public Celebration of Life and Reception will follow at Mat's Place in Garner, IA, from noon until 3 P.M.  casual attire is requested.

        Max George Christie, the son of Charles George and Charlotte Hazel (Lewis) Christie, at Forest City, IA. was born May 12, 1950.  In his childhood the family moved to the Klemme area where he attended Klemme Schools graduating from high school there in the Class of 1968.  Following graduation he enlisted in the enlisted in the United States Army.  During his tenure he served for a time in Germany. He spent part of his Army years specializing in missile disassembly. Max served active duty for 4 years before being Honorably Discharged in Jan. 1972.  He then served in the Army National Guard for a time and then transferred into the Seabees where he picked up some engineering training.

       Max was united in marriage to Carol Vierkant from 1972-1980.  He later married Candace Kuester in 1982 at the First Reformed Church parsonage in Meservey. and they were together until 2016.  Max moved to the Westview Care Center for health reasons in January 2018.

       Max was a hardworking man who excelled at whatever job he did.  His engineering training,  creative mind and work ethic were an asset to his employment roles.   He had farmed with his brother Bill Christie for a time in addition to both of them working full time as well.  Max was employed at Central Soya in Belmond for 15 years.  He then worked at Stellar Industries in Garner for 10 years until his retirement at age 62.  

      His 68 year life journey was definitely action packed, filled with diverse hobbies and pastimes.  He loved time spent in the outdoors and especially those times camping out with his wife and kids, fishing excursions to northern Minnesota and Canada annually in the summer, and Sunday afternoons with his boys and other family get togethers at Charlotte and Charlie's  farm. He had a love of motorcycles and shared this passion with friends and his son Kyle taking him on various two wheel journeys.  Max favorite bike was a Triumph Bonneville, but he also owned Kawasaki's and Harleys.  Max enjoyed collecting and restoring and working classic cars and along with his other career stops during life he shared his skills through a time of working at Herman Stadtlander's Garage in Meservey.  He had restored a 61, and 62 Impala, as well as owning and meticulously maintaining a Mustang, Nova, 1967 Camaro, and Firebird.

      Other favorite pastimes included woodworking, history,  coffee time at various places and breakfast at the Weathered Goose, Klemme.  He loved to bake larger batches of chocolate chip cookies and an occasional pie to eat and share with others.  In is younger days Max had a small rifle collection, looked forward to attending regional gun show,  enjoyed hunting and target shooting.  He spent many years proudly volunteering and showing his patriotism helping raise the flags at the Ell Township Cemetery.

      Those who crossed in Max's life journey will remember him in many diverse ways including his fun and playful wit and dry sense of humor, always brewing up the next trick or prank he could play on friends and family, a trait that he honed during his years in the service.  He may have been reserved in nature, but once you were acquainted with him, he was loyal and became friends for life.   He was occasionally a bit on the stubborn side, but his heart was filled with generosity and shown through as he often times provided for the needs and wants of everyone else, before those of his own.  Many will also remember his characteristic of Max having a very innate sense of his surroundings.

      Max memory will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of his sons: Kyle Christie, Klemme, IA, and Cory (Kirsten) Kuester, Des Moines, IA; brother Bill (Kris) Christie, Garner, IA; former wife Candy Christie, Belmond, sisters-in-law: Becky Janssen, Belmond and Carrie (Steve) Gnerre, Naples, FL; brothers-in-law: Dan (Cindy) Brown, Surprise, AZ, Russ (Belinda) Brown, Spokane, WA, Bob Murphy, Dayton, IA; and many loving nieces, nephews, and many many friends. Memorial suggestions include One Vision, Hospice of North Iowa, or to the donor's choice.

      He was preceded in death by parents Charles and Charlotte, a brother Jesse, sister-in-law Judy Murphy, brothers-in-law: Rod Brown and Jim Janssen, and a nephew Colin Murphy.