Helen Maxine Lauer, better known as Max, Mom and MawMaw, passed away peacefully at home April 30, 2026 at 100 years old, leaving behind a century’s worth of love, laughter, resilience and unforgettable memories.
Born on January 16, 1926, Max lived through the Great Depression, World War II, the moon landing and the invention of the internet, spending an entire century proving that no matter what history placed in front of her, her strength, faith and optimism would always carry her through.
Born to James and Alberta Summerville in Monroe, Pennsylvania, Max prided herself on her Pennsylvania Dutch roots and likely reminded you of it often.
While paying her own way through college by teaching dance, Max endured one of the greatest heartbreaks of her young life. Her grade school sweetheart, Tom, whom she fell in love with in first grade while he was in second, was serving in World War II and became a prisoner of war in Germany. After a year, Tom’s parents and Max feared the worst and believed he may never return home. But in true Max and Tom fashion, their story wasn’t over. When Tom finally made it home, they wasted no time beginning the beautiful life they were always meant to share.
Together, they built a marriage filled with love, resilience, family and the kind of devotion most people only hope for. Their 57-year love story was the real deal. Tom, along with her parents and her beloved brother Ray, have all gone before her and knowing Max, there’s no doubt she’s already up in Heaven keeping them all on their toes again.
Along with being an incredible wife, mother and grandmother, being Ray’s big sister was one of her most treasured roles, a bond she carried proudly her entire life.
She was a loving mom to Rick (Peggy) and Cindi, an adored MawMaw and Grandma to Josh (Tess), Heather (Daniel), Mike (Lindsay) and Mindy (Ben), a devoted Aunt to Debbie and nurturing Great Grandma to Gavin, Kinley, Addy, Aidan, Keelan, Anderson, Adalyn and Jack.
Max danced her way through life in more ways than one. She knew how to keep moving, keep laughing and keep showing up through joy, hardship and everything in between.
She was also an incredible cook, the kind who made love taste like home. The only thing better than her German chocolate cakes were her meatballs, roughly the size of a small city, and somehow if you didn’t finish one, she’d immediately want to know why you didn’t like it.
Max was wonderfully herself, like being quite possibly the only woman in IHOP history to request horseradish with her pancakes.
Another one of Max’s wonderfully unique traits was her unwavering belief that the secret to a happy, long life was starting every single day with pie for breakfast, specifically cherry pie. And after 100 remarkable years, it’s hard to argue with her logic.
More than anything, Max cared deeply about everyone she met. She always asked about you, whether it were her own children or a stranger on the sidewalk. She always wanted to know how you were, what was new and how your heart was doing. She remained selfless up until her final days, carrying a genuine love and concern for everyone lucky enough to know her.
She was an amazing wife, a deeply loving mother and grandmother and the kind of woman whose presence could never be replaced.
If she left us with anything, it was her unmatched life advice:
Start every day with cherry pie.
When in doubt, dance it out.
Read your Bible, don’t dust it.
That was Max, equal parts faith, tenacity, optimism and love, with just enough sass to keep life interesting.
She leaves behind a family who adored her, stories we’ll tell forever and a legacy that feels impossible to measure.
And while our hearts are broken, there’s comfort in knowing Heaven just got one heck of a woman, a little more laughter and probably the biggest meatballs it’s ever seen.
Services: Visitation at Kutis Affton Chapel Monday May 11th, 9:00 AM until service at 10:00 AM. Interment JB National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Maxine’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/greatermissouri