Maxine Marie Roberts

Maxine Sorensen Roberts of Cairo passed away on July 18, 2016 at Tiffany Square in Grand Island. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM Thursday, July 21, 2016 at the Cairo United Methodist Church, 506 East Kansas St., Cairo, NE. The Reverend Cathryn Love will officiate. Burial will follow at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Cairo, with lunch at the church after the burial service. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Wednesday at the Cairo United Methodist Church. Maxine was born January 27, 1922, on a farm west of Abbott, NE to Richard and Linda (Wrage) Spiehs. She was the great granddaughter of Hans Wrage, one of the initial 11 settlers of Hall County. At the age of 9, Maxine moved with her family to a farm southeast of Cairo. She received her education at the Abbott rural school, Cairo High School and graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 1939. Maxine graduated from Grand Island Business College and was employed during WWII, as a secretary at Cornhusker Ordnance Plant, and at the Grand Island Army Air Base. On May 5, 1946, Maxine married Wayne Sorensen. The couple made their home in Cairo. After Mr. Sorensen suddenly died on December 19, 1970, Maxine became employed in the Accounting Office at the NE Veterans Home. She was later employed as a secretary at Cairo United Methodist Church. Maxine married LaVerne Roberts on June 19, 1987, and they also lived in Cairo. Mr. Roberts passed away on November 24, 2010. She was a member of Cairo United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women, Order of Eastern Star of which she was a 50+ year member and Past Worthy Matron. She enjoyed quilting, playing bridge and pitch, morning coffee with friends at the Cairo Senior Center, lunches with retiree friends from the NE Veterans Home, and family get-togethers. Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Joyce and Bill Heger, and son and daughter-in-law, Gordon and Pam Sorensen, step-sons and wives, Jack and Jackie Roberts and Ray and Julie Roberts. Also surviving are grandchildren, Ann Sorensen, Trevor Sorensen, Scott Sorensen, Renee Sorensen, Andrew and wife, Sarah Heger, and Aaron and wife, Justina Heger; step-grandchildren, Heather and husband, Art Trezise, Kristine and husband Chris Bridgewater, Jennifer and husband Jim Langenberg, Jill and husband Tim Alford, and Matthew and wife Ann Roberts; Kent and wife Linda Poss, Amy and husband Joe Wolsleger, Julie Poss and Brandon Simonson, Jill Poss-Nall and Jason Sillivan; six great-grandchildren; twenty-one step-great-grandchildren; and two step-great-great grandchildren. Additional survivors are brother-in-law, Alvin Meyer, and sister-in-law Alice Spiehs. She was preceded in death by both of her husbands, her parents, brothers Harold Spiehs and Kenneth Spiehs, sister, Geraldine Meyer, and sister-in-law Joan Spiehs. Memorials are suggested to the Cairo United Methodist Church, Cairo Senior Center, or Cairo Community Foundation.