Maxine Helen Von Tersch

Maxine Helen Von Tersch, age 86, of Carroll and formerly of Denison and Earling passed away on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Rolling Meadows Assisted Living in Carroll, IA, surrounded by her children.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 26, 2025 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Patrick Behm.  Lector for the Mass will be Tom Von Tersch.  Gift Bearers will be the Tom Von Tersch family.  A private graveside service will be held at the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery in Denison at a later date. Visitation will be held from 9:30 A.M. – 10:15 A.M. on Saturday at Holy Spirit Church prior to the Mass.

A luncheon will follow the Mass at the Greteman Center. Family and friends are invited to gather afterward for cocktails at Wasted Grain Restaurant (1235 Plaza Drive, Carroll, IA).

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Family of Maxine Von Tersch. In accordance with her wishes, donations will be distributed to local Catholic churches and Adonai International Ministries in Guatemala. Contributions by mail can be sent to: Family of Maxine Von Tersch - 421 Southgate Road - Carroll, IA 51401.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com.

Maxine was born on February 28, 1939, in Earling, Iowa, the daughter of Lawrence and Verna Kenkel. She grew up in Earling and graduated from Earling High School in 1958. She later attended Western Iowa Tech Community College and began her career as a doctor’s assistant in Omaha.  On November 24, 1962, Maxine married Dean Von Tersch at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Earling. Together, they made their home near Buck Grove, south of Denison, where they farmed and raised their family. In 1977, they purchased Denison Meat Processing, moved to Denison, and operated the business for nine years. After their divorce in 1986, Maxine worked at Job Corps Centers in Denison and Manhattan, Kansas. She later settled in Carroll, where she worked in sales for American Home Shield for 14 years, retiring in 2010.

Maxine was a woman of deep faith and a devoted member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Carroll. She served her parish and community in countless ways—teaching CCD at every grade level, leading Pre-Cana marriage preparation classes, volunteering through the ministerial program at St. Anthony Regional Hospital, and serving as a Eucharistic Minister, usher, lector, and hospice volunteer. She also directed numerous Cursillo and CHRP weekend retreats. In recent months, she joined the “Let Our Light Shine” Bible study group.  Her generosity and civic spirit extended well beyond the church. She was an active member of organizations including the Moose Lodge, Rotary Club, Parents Without Partners, Toastmasters, the Denison Chamber of Commerce, and the Crawford County Development Corporation. In 1984, Maxine received the Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award in recognition of her outstanding community service.

Maxine had a vibrant and generous spirit. She cherished morning coffee and conversation, enjoyed the occasional totty with friends, and loved reading her many Christian books. Her hobbies included volunteering, coin collecting, painting, playing euchre, panning for gold, metal detecting, and baking. Her children fondly remember car rides singing KumBaYa and watching her knead dough in the kitchen for homemade bread and cinnamon rolls.

Some of her most treasured memories included her wedding day, visits with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and traveling abroad. She was especially moved by a trip to Germany to attend the once-a-decade Oberammergau Passion Play and deeply cherished visiting England to meet her son-in-law’s family—touring Stonehenge and the oldest wooden church in Europe.

Maxine is survived by her five children: Dean “Charles” Von Tersch of Charleston, SC, and his children Paul (Laurel) Von Tersch and Ashley (Kyle) Lawver; grandchildren Conner, Beau, Kaleb, Zoey, and Logan; Tom (Jami) Von Tersch of Altoona, IA, and their children Grant (Lydia) Von Tersch, Tera (Joe) Brawner, Isabel, Lillian, and Gabe Wheeler; granddaughter Evelyn and a baby girl expected in August 2025; Valerie (Dave) Holdsworth of Carroll, IA, and their children Jordan (Tara) Holdsworth, Brittany (David) Ficker, and Conner Holdsworth; grandchildren Sofia, Isaiah, Jedediah, Elkanah, Camryn, Trey, and a baby girl expected in August 2025; Brenda (Tom) LaPorte of Urbandale, IA, and their children Brooklyn and Thomas LaPorte III; and Angela (Shaun) Chandler of Sylva, NC, and their daughter Chelsea Chandler.  Maxine is also survived by her sister, Karen Potter of San Diego, CA, and a sister-in-law, Althea Kenkel of Omaha, NE.

Maxine was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence and Verna Kenkel; her brother, Joel Kenkel; her brother-in-law, Bryan Potter; and her daughter-in-law, Ann Shafer Von Tersch.