LaVerne Jean Fiechtner Maxwell Coffman walked peacefully into the loving arms of her Savior and Lord Jesus surrounded by family Tuesday evening, August 2, 2022. Laverne was born to Edward and Caroline (Kirschenmann) Fiechtner on November 4, 1932, in Lehr, ND. LaVerne was the oldest of Ed and Carrie’s three children. The family moved to Hardin, MT when she was 4 and then to Fairfield, MT when she was 11, where she lived until she graduated in 1950. LaVerne had a love for music which was passed down from her mother Carrie who played the accordion and harmonica. She sang in high school and for weddings and taught herself to play the piano. LaVerne passed her musical passion onto her children who loved to hear her play and sing. She loved to paint, craft and sew. She was known for spending hours in the fabric store, sometimes never buying a single piece but enjoying looking at all the opportunities! She married Hugh Walter Maxwell on February 14, 1954, in St. John's Catholic Church in Fairfield. In May of 1954, Hugh was drafted by the U.S. Army and the newlyweds moved to Ft. Campbell, KY, and Ft. Benning, GA. In 1956, Hugh and LaVerne moved to Bozeman where Hugh finished his degree. The couple moved as Hugh worked as a county extension agent in the states of Montana, Nebraska and Iowa. During that time, LaVerne worked as a nurse’s assistant where her empathy and care for others was evident. Between 1954 and 1964, six children were born to Hugh and LaVerne, Patty, Steve, Ed, Teresa, Gwen, and Hugh Jr. In 1972, the family moved back to Fairfield where all six children graduated from high school. During that time, LaVerne worked in local stores and even ran “LaVerne’s,” her own women’s clothing store on Main Street for a short time. After becoming empty nesters, LaVerne and Hugh lived in Lincoln, MT and Hauser Lake, ID, for several years before returning to Fairfield.
LaVerne and Hugh loved the outdoors and spent countless hours taking the kids to Benchmark with their horses to ride and fish. After the children were out of the house, they traded the horses for a pull trailer and would camp for days fishing in Montana and Idaho. Anyone who knew them saw their opposite approaches to fishing with LaVerne patiently waiting for a bite and Hugh reeling and casting furiously assuming his bait had fallen off. LaVerne always prevailed, once the fish were counted, with her patience and knowledge of where to cast and wait. Another important part of LaVerne’s life was her involvement in her church. While at New Song Church in Choteau, LaVerne was very active in the church and willing to serve in any capacity. She loved worship and the relationships she developed through her faith.
Hugh passed in February of 2013 after 59 years of marriage. LaVerne continued to live in the house in which she had grown up and traveled to Simms, Townsend, and Ennis in Montana and Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington and Oregon visiting her children and grandchildren. In 2014 she reconnected with former high school classmate and sweetheart Jim Coffman, whose wife had also passed. The two started talking on the phone, then going out dancing and were later married in May of 2015. Not everyone gets a chance to fall in love twice, but anyone who spent time around Jim and LaVerne could tell immediately that they had both found love again. LaVerne and Jim embraced each other’s families and often talked about their collective number of grandchildren and great grandchildren, loving them all unconditionally.
LaVerne had many gifts that she shared with everyone with whom she came in contact, especially her children and grandchildren including her unending optimism, her unconditional love and her unflappable faith. As a mother and grandmother, she epitomized love and support for all her children and grandchildren no matter what the situation. There was never judgement, just an optimism that any challenge could be overcome with love and belief. As a spouse, she displayed patience and understanding for the needs of her husband and offered encouragement to be the man, husband, or father that the family needed. As a Christian, she never wavered from the belief that Jesus could solve any problem and forgive any indiscretion. Her faith, love and optimism made her the person that she was and the mother, grandmother, wife, and friend that will be dearly missed, but more importantly, forever remembered as an example of how to spend a life well lived.
LaVerne will be greatly missed by her loving husband for the last 7 years, Jim Coffman; her six children, Patty (Shaun) McConnell of Reno, NV, Steve (Roberta) Maxwell of Ennis, MT, Ed (Deb) Maxwell of Redmond, OR, Teresa (Jeff) Poor of Sun River, MT, Gwen (Dale) Buckingham of Sheridan, WY, and Hugh (Lori) Maxwell Jr. of Gig Harbor, WA; her sister, LaVonne (Gary) Thompson of Kelso, WA, stepson Jim (Susan) Coffman, Jr. of Joplin, MT, and stepdaughter Lorri (Rod) Coulter of Brusett, MT. She is also lovingly remembered by 27 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren and 1 great-greatgrandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Caroline Fiechtner; husband, Hugh Maxwell; brother, Ervin Fiechtner; son-in-law, Joe Lear; and great-granddaughter, Patience Jane Marie Lear.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 8, 2022, at New Life Community Church, 503 Third Ave. South in Fairfield. Interment will follow at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Fairfield with a luncheon to follow back at New Life Community Church.
Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.SchniderFuneralHome.com.
