CHS Distinguished Alumni
Maxine Leavitt Bennett
Class of 1946
Maxine Leavitt Bennett is known throughout Logan County and Central Oklahoma for her fifty-plus years of gentle and compassionate, skilled nursing care. Maxine's life exemplifies a life of service to God, her family and patients.
Maxine graduated from Crescent High School in 1946. She taught school in Logan County for one year on a War Emergency Certificate and then entered nurse's training, graduating with a degree in nursing from Grace School of Nursing, Hutchinson, Kansas.
She and her husband of 53 year, Wayne, live on a farm north of Guthrie. They had three daughters. Cathy James, a former CHS teacher is currently a Logan County OSU Cooperative Extension Educator and Shirley is an administrative secretary for the Masonic Lodge in Guthrie. Their youngest daughter, Patty, died in her teens with cancer.
During the years their daughters were growing up and continuing today, Maxine and Wayne have been strong supporters of their family's activities. For many years they provide leadership for the Logan County 4-H program, particularly taking an active role in the 4-H sheep project. Over the years, donations to 4-H and FFA Booster Clubss and trophy sponsorship have remained a vital part of their community involvement.
Maxine first started working at the Logan County Health Department in 1965. She was responsible for implementing many public health programs in this county, including Home Health Care, Family Planning, Maternity, Child Health, WIC, Chronic Disease Screening, TB Control, Immunizations, Glaucoma Screening and others, dictated by the State Health Department.
For approximately thirty years, Maxine worked at the Health Department as well as serving for many years as a school nurse for the Guthrie school system. At the time of Maxine's retirement from the Health Department in 1992, Jay Smith, Director of the Health Department, state, "Maxine is an example of highest professionalism."
Immediately upon her 1992 reitrement, she began working as a Home Health Care Nurse for several hospitals in cnetral Oklahoma. She has been doing this for over fifteen years and continues to do so.
Her chosen profession as a registered nurse goes beyond the normal workday. Over the years, people have been know to stop by her house unexpectedly just to ask advice about an ailment or to call her to come to their home to check on a sick family member. Because of her unselfish concern for others, she has saved lives and lessened fears on many occasions.
Maxine and Wayne are active members of the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Maxine Bennett's legacy is one of humble committment to others. She does not like attention drawn to herself and that is even more reason she deserves to be honored.
Main Page
Alumni Association
<![CDATA[<XMP></body></xmp>]]>