Maxine Dale

Maxine Dale, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on October 30, 2025. She was 93 years old, born on April 15, 1932.
Born and raised in Katie, Oklahoma, to Roy and Esther Roady, Maxine spent her life in Katie and Elmore City. She loved playing basketball and graduated from Elmore City High School. It was in high school that she met George Dale. In fact, long before they met, their dads, JW Dale and Roy Roady met coincidently at Dale's grocery store in Katie. JW (George's dad) saying to Roy who was holding Maxine saying, "I have a baby boy at home just her age."
It was God's plan that later brought them together. She fell in love with him and his many handwritten love letters to "his sweetheart, his honey, his darling, and his angel," to name a few, that professed his love and promise to love her forever. And he did. They were married for over 70 years, sharing a lifetime of cherished memories and enduring love, until his death in November 2020. Together, they built a strong and loving family, raising three wonderful daughters in Elmore City. They were the light of Maxine's life.
Maxine and her family were devoted members of the First Baptist Church in Elmore City, where she dedicated over 60 years as a Sunday School teacher for 4 and 5 year old children. Her love for children left an indelible mark on their lives, guiding them in their earliest steps of faith. She has impacted generations of children, many who may be honoring her today as we celebrate her life.
Her love for her family was evident to all who knew her. Maxine was a proud grandmother to four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, all of whom brought immense joy to her life. She loved family gatherings and travel with her family, where her warmth, wisdom, and steadfast love were felt by all. She and dad always shared the gospel and prayed for their family--that all would find Christ so we would always be together in heaven to meet Him!
Reading the Bible was routine for her. She read it many times. As we looked back through her many Christian books and her Bible, we found this verse that was one of her favorites. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path," Proverbs 3:5-6.
Maxine's life was one of quiet strength, unwavering faith, and dedication to her family and community. Her legacy will live on in the hearts of her family and the many lives she touched. As her health faded, she continually mentioned her love of Jesus, and she could not wait to get her heavenly wings. She placed many pictures of Jesus and remembrances of Him in her home and always had them in plain sight. She was ready to meet Him face to face.
She is survived by her three daughters, Pam Deering, and her husband Myles; Ginger Higginbotham and her husband Alan; Kim Wright and her husband Mike. Her four grandchildren; Ericka Lowery, Jessica Narvaez, Daniel Deering, and Michael Wright, and her ten great-grandchildren; Liv, Zoe, and Luke Lowery; Isabella, Olivia and Ali Narvaez, McKenna and Madison Wright, and Adelyn and Callie Deering, all of whom will miss her deeply. She is also survived by her sister, Doris Shirley and many other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Roy and Esther Roady, and her husband George Dale.
Services for Maxine will be held at the First Baptist Church, Elmore City, where her faith and love for the Lord will be remembered and honored. Graveside service will follow at Katie Cemetery. Flowers are welcome, but donations may also be made to the church's children's ministry, a ministry dear to Maxine's heart.
Her family and friends take comfort in knowing that she is now at peace, reunited with those who have gone before her, in the presence of the Lord she so faithfully served.