Charlotte Maxine Peake was born July 29, 1931 to her Cherokee parents Jesse and Mary Louise Peake.
She was born on the Fort Totten, North
Dakota Indian Reservation at Devil?s Lake, North Dakota.
Maxine?s early childhood was spent
living in the Dakotas and Oklahoma at several Indian school campuses,
where her mother worked as a teacher. During her first few years of
high school, Maxine attended the Oklahoma Presbyterian School for
Women where she studied music; including voice piano and violin.
During these years, Maxine also had an interest in horse riding. She
and her beloved horse Spot won many trophies together. Maxine
graduated in 1949 from Hartshorne High School.
During her time there, Maxine and her
best friend Maggie loved to spend their free time at the corner drug
store where a ?very handsome? young man, who has just returned
from serving in World War II, was working as a soda jerk. Maxine won
the heart of that handsome young man, Wallace Eugene Dugan, and the
couple eloped and were married on February 4, 1949 in Sherman, Texas.
Later the family moved to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the
Cherokee Nation near other Peake family members.
In 1950 Maxine and Gene welcomed their
first daughter Sheila Ruth Dugan. In 1951, Gene and Maxine move to
Wichita, Kansas for Work. In 1962, they welcomed their second
daughter Mona Louise Dugan.
In the mid-1950s, Maxine began working
at St. Francis Medical Center in the Personnel Office as a secretary.
She then become and administrative assistant in the medical education
department and later the University of Kansas Medical school
Orthopedic Residency Program. She enjoyed her work at St. Francis
immensely. It was interesting, educational, she made many friends and
earned the respect of so many. In fact, she was often referred to as
?Mama Max? by the young resident doctors in the Orthopedic
program. In 1993 Maxine retired from St. Francis Hospital and carried
with her many wonderful memories.
In 1989, Gene and Maxine moved to rural
Sedgwick, Kansas, where they raised horses and were very active in
Kansa Western Horsemen Association and the Bit & Spur and Saddle
Club. They were also members of St. Mary?s Catholic Church in
Newton, Kansas.
Maxine was a proud member of the board
of directors of the Mid-American All-Indian Center when it was opened
in Wichita, Kansas in 1976. She was also very proud and honored to
serve on the board of Hunter Health Clinic in those early days. All
the board members and the Indian Community worked so hard to bring
the Mid-America All-Indian Center into existence. Maxine loved and
cherished her service and work in Wichita for all tribes of the
Native People of the Wichita area.
Gene and Maxine moved to the Via
Christi Village in Wichita in 2012, transferring their membership to
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church. Gene died on August 26, 2015.
Survivors include two daughters Sheila
Bazil and husband Gaylon of Wichita and Mona Rainey and husband Tim
of Sedgwick; sister Margaret Beth Raymond of Tahlequah, Okla.;
grandchildren Beth Long, Janine Clayton and husband Matt, Craig Bazil
and wife Vanessa, Connie Jacob and husband Jay, Laramie McDaniel and
husband Travis; and eight great grandchildren Brandon, Briana, Grace,
Adelyn, Matthew, Benjamin, Charlotte, and Arielle.
Maxine is preceded in death by her
parents and husband.
The Recitation of the Holy Rosary will
be at 7:00 P.M., Tuesday (January 4, 2022) with the Mass of Christian
Burial at 10:30 A.M., Wednesday (January 5th) both at St. Catherine
of Siena Catholic Church, 3642 N. Ridge Road, Wichita. Interment will
be in the Hillside Cemetery in Sedgwick, Kansas.
The casket will be open at the funeral
home on Tuesday between 1:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M.
A memorial has been established with
the church or the American Indian Merit Award Memorial at
Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. The Merit Award Memorial
was established in 1977 by Maxine's mother, Louise Peake and Dr. Ruth
Arrington to recognize outstanding American Indian graduates who have
demonstrated leadership ability. Contributions may be sent to
Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, Ks. 67114.
Our world will be missing a big piece
of our hearts because our precious mother, grandmother, sister and
friend Charlotte Maxine Peake Dugan is no longer walking this Earth
with us. We will always miss her tremendously but she has left us
with many cherish memories that we will keep close in our hearts for
every. Do-na-da-go-hv-i (Till we meet again)/ e-tsi (mother), e-li-si
(grandmother), v-gi-lv (sister)/ gv-ge-yu-hi (we love you).
