Kathleen Conrad Maxey Luther

Kathleen Conrad Maxey Luther, 103, passed away on September 26, 2016, at Carillon House, Lubbock, Texas. A memorial service will be held at the Carillon Chapel at 10:30 a.m., October 8, 2016, with The Rev. Keith Wiseman officiating. Kathleen has donated her body to the Texas Tech Health Science Center, and her burial will be at a later date. Kathleen was born on October 7, 1912, at home on her parents’ homestead in Yoakum County, Texas. Her parents were Paul Zimri Conrad and Wilma McAdams Conrad. Kathleen expressed happy memories of living on the ranch and liked riding a donkey to her grammar school in Plains, Texas. After living at the ranch, the family moved into Plains, where they lived above their General Mercantile Store. Times were hard in Plains, and at Christmastime Kathleen and her sister, Jean, attended a community Christmas celebration, where the boys received a truck and the girls got a doll. When Kathleen was 14, she was sent to Lubbock to board with other children from surrounding towns to attend Lubbock High School. She played on the tennis team with an innovative Dayton steel racket. She attended First (United) Methodist Church, where she remained a lifelong faithful member. She graduated in 1929 and the next year began Texas Technological College (Texas Tech), where she joined Las Vivaraches (Zeta Tau Alpha). When the stock market crashed, Kathleen left college. In 1931, she was awarded a Temporary Teachers Certificate and taught grammar and literature in Plains and later worked as a bookkeeper for S. H. Kress & Co. in Lubbock. She used to laugh, saying, “I don’t know how I made it as a bookkeeper, I can’t even balance my checkbook!” Kathleen soon met and married Robert Earl Maxey on July 30, 1936 and became a homemaker. They had two children, Marcia, 1941, and Conrad, 1947. In 1941, Robert joined the Navy and served in the Pacific as a Navy Construction Battalion Lieutenant for 29 months. Kathleen and her friends, whose husbands were serving in WWII, formed The Sewing Club, where they met weekly to repair clothing, support each other and knit for the War effort. Kathleen was very active in the community: she served on the board of the Lubbock Women’s Club, she was a Charter Member of the Woman’s Society of Christian Service in 1940 and a Member of the Quester’s Class. She was the President of the Junior Welfare League from 1944-1945, was a member of the Texas Tech Foundation Board, a patron of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and in 1952 was the Chairman of the Education Board of the First United Methodist Church Lubbock. In 1955, she was a Texas Tech Museum Trustee and Chairman of the Women’s Committee. Throughout Marcia and Conrad’s school years, Kathleen was active in PTA and loved planning parties for Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthdays. She joined PEO, Chapter AA, in 1974 and remained a member until her death. In 1968, Robert passed away and 6 years later Kathleen married H.T. “Buck” Luther, who had been a longtime friend. They enjoyed traveling and spending time at his ranch near Silverton until his death in 1986. Kathleen moved to Windsong at Carillon in 2001 and lived there 15 years with many of her old friends. While at Windsong, she wore out two treadmills and listened to over 2500 books on tape. She listened to Texas Tech football every week and never missed hearing a First Methodist Sunday church service. Due to failing health and vision problems associated with macular degeneration, she moved to Carillon House in 2014. Her positive attitude and faith in God helped her to be happy and sweet natured until the end of her life. She loved sending birthday cards to all of her family and was frequently visited by family and friends. Kathleen will be remembered as a sweet and beautiful person, a gentle soul who loved God and lived by her Christian faith. She was kind and loving to everyone and loved by all. Kathleen is preceded in death by her husbands, Robert E. Maxey and H.T. Luther, and by her son, Robert Conrad Maxey. Those left to cherish Kathleen’s memory are her sister, Jean Boyd; her daughter, Dr. Marcia Maxey Abbott; grandchildren, Dr. Julie Abbott Karnazes, husband Dean and their children Alexandria and Nicholas; Kenneth Michael Abbott, wife MaryAnn and children Justin, Christian, and Henry; Marcia's dear friend, Sam Arnett; daughter-in-law, Susan Maxey; grandchildren, Amy Maxey Williams, husband Kyle and children Grace and Luke; David Maxey, wife Elizabeth and children Cannon, Aspen, Adam, and Cole. Kathleen is also survived by stepdaughter Nan West, Nan’s children Greg West, wife Jennifer and children Jackson, Harley, and Holt; and Catharin West, husband Dan and children Reagan and William. The family would like to thank the staff of Carillon for their loving care all these years, especially Robert, Brenda, Tammy, Hilda, Heather, and Jay. Thank you to Hospice of Lubbock, Gaby Sanchez, and to Rev. Keith Wiseman, whose sweet prayers and visits were so important to her and the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Meals on Wheels of Lubbock, to the First United Methodist Church, Lubbock, or to the Texas Talking Book Program, 1201 Brazos Street, Austin, TX 78711-2927.

Kathleen Conrad Maxey Luther

October 7, 1912 - September 26, 2016