Maxine Van de Graaf

Maxine Van de Graaf passed away peacefully on December 16, 2025 surrounded by her family. She had a wonderful vibrant life and was known as "gracious and kind" and very loved. She was born December 7, 1933 in Toppenish, WA to Randel and Mildred (Riggins) Stovall. Her grandparents had been on the Oregon Trail and came from Kentucky and the Daniel Boone line a heritage she was extremely proud of.

As a young girl, she was a beautiful tall red head who loved horses, riding her horse "Penny", music, and bicycling around Toppenish. She graduated from Toppenish High School in 1951 in the top of her class. She attended Washington State University and was a member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority which she really cherished.

While Queen of the Toppenish Pow Wow Rodeo in 1953 she met Dick, who was chariot racing at the rodeo and they were married 5 months later. They shared a love of horses which was woven throughout their lives. When Dick was drafted into the army they relocated with their young family to Fort Ord, CA and to Fort Lewis, After the army they returned to the White Swan family farm and then to Toppenish to feed cattle. In 1959 Dick and Maxine purchased their first feedlot in Sunnyside. Dick worked hard feeding cattle and Maxine did the book-keeping and took care of everything else. She was President of the local PTA, Yakima County Cowbells, helped to establish Lower Valley Hospice (Heartlinks), and active in the fundraising group for the Lower Valley Pathway for bicycles. She was on the Foundation and Board of the Sunnyside Hospital (Astria) and saw to it that Ben Snipes, the area's first cattleman was recognized with a bronze statue in Sunnyside by his log cabin. She sang soprano in her church choir and assisted with Sunday School. She went to all Rick and Rod's sports events, basketball, and rodeos. She was the secretary and timer for numerous roping events in the Van de Graaf arena and helped put on team ropings. She went to many or almost all the grandchildren's' events including their parades, basketball and soccer games, horse shows, etc. She attended all their college graduations and went on most family trips with the Grandchildren. She learned to fly Dick's Cessna 182 along with Dick and was only a few solo hours short of getting her pilot's license.

She loved the outdoors and the mountains and packing in with the horses to fish or hunt or just camp. She hunted with Dick and the boys for deer and elk. She went river rafting on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with her brother Dale and Carol and sister Susie. Maxine spent countless hours riding horseback working or rounding up cattle at their Ellensburg ranch or in the Horse Heavens at the Six Prong ranch where she also provided her home cooked meals for the cowboy crews. She was a beautiful horsewoman and always rode the more spirited horses. She travelled with Dick on cattle buying trips and helped with the expansion of the cattle feeding operation known as "Van de Graaf Ranches." She and Suzanne Monson assisted with the details of starting the Washington Beef Packing House (Agri-Beef today) for their newly founded partnership. Maxine was always involved in the cattle industry in some capacity.

Maxine enjoyed the Sunnyside Novella Club and the nine hole golf ladies in Sunnyside. Some of her favorite times were at her Beach house in Seabeck, WA, or at the Ranch house for the Ellensburg Rodeo weekend or playing cards. She loved travelling. Sister Susie and Karen took her to Paris and numerous trips to NYC for Broadway plays and museums. She went to Europe to see Dick's Dutch relatives, Ireland, Spain, England and Cabo San Lucus, Mexico. Dick and Maxine travelled around the world to large cattle ranches with the Western Livestock Journal Group. The friends they met and experiences shared were some of their favorite memories.

Maxine is a member of the Sunnyside Presbyterian Church. She is survived by her loving husband Dick (who took exceptional care of her these past few years), daughter Karen Erickson and husband Steve, Rick and wife Kathy, and Rod all of Sunnyside. She was preceded in death by daughter Dana Susan , her parents, and grand-daughter Heather. She is survived by her brother Ret Brig General Dale E Stovall and wife Carol (Missoula, MT) and sister Susan Crossland and husband David (Good Year, AZ) She has 10 grandchildren: Heidi Tranisi (husband Joe), Hilary Cullen (husband Ryan), Hunter Van de Graaf (wife Meghan), Juliana Van Wingerden (husband Matt), Dr. Connor Erickson (wife Gaby), Annaka Vasquez (husband Cesar), Kyle Van de Graaf, Cole Van de Graaf (wife Rhani), Drew Van de Graaf, and Nate Van de Graaf (wife Rachael). Maxine was blessed with 15 great-grandchildren and one more on the way. She is also survived by numerous loving nieces, nephews, and cousins and sisters-in-law Lydia Lommers and Carolyn Van de Graaf.

Viewing and visitation will be held on Monday, January 5, 2026 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Smith Funeral Home, Sunnyside WA. Family graveside service will be on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. with a Celebration of Life Service to follow at the Sunnyside Presbyterian Church. Those wishing to sign Maxine's online memorial book may do so at www.funeralhomesmith.com Memorials may be made to the Sunnyside Presbyterian Church 737 S. 16th St. Sunnyside, WA 98944 or Heartlinks Hospice and Palliative Care 3920 Outlook Rd. Sunnyside, WA 98944 Smith Funeral Home is in care of arrangements.