Maxine Gloria Schaffer (nee Ziebold), 94, of Moss Landing, Calif., died Sept. 22, 2022, in Redwood City, Calif. She was born April 13, 1928, in Waterloo.

Maxine was born into a musical family, she studied voice from an early age. She met her husband on the bus, riding to St. Louis for singing lessons.

Her husband’s career as a chemical engineer with Corning Glass Works required the family to move to Elmira, N.Y., where Maxine became active in the local music community, including her work with the Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, N.Y. Highlights of her operatic roles: Sang the coloratura aria for The Queen of the Night role in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and cast as Pitti-Sing in “The Mikado” (Gilbert & Sullivan).

Advancing in his career at Corning Glass Works, her husband was eventually assigned to direct a project for the company in Bucharest, Romania.  During their sojourn there, Maxine continued voice lessons with the principal soprano of the Bucharest Opera, and learned to communicate in the Romanian language.   

As the work in Bucharest neared completion, her husband was assigned to France to work on projects in Paris and Chateauroux for the company. After five years abroad, they returned to New York.

Following the premature death of her husband in 1976 at age 49, she eventually moved to California in 1980 to be near her younger daughter, three of her granddaughters and eventually her great-grandchildren. Her eldest granddaughter resides in Seattle, Wash.. 

Widowed for 45 years, she sought new singing activities in California and continued to travel, visiting all 50 states and sailing the Panama Canal. For her 80th birthday, she returned to Europe with her older daughter and son-in-law for a sentimental journey back to Bucharest and Paris and favorite places in between.  For her 90th birthday, she sailed to Hawaii from California. In July of 2022 she returned to Prairie du Rocher to attend the 300th anniversary celebration of her ancestral home. Maxine is believed to be the last surviving Brickey Mansion resident.

She is survived by her two daughters, four granddaughters and six great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband Harry J. Schaffer, parents Max G. and Edythe (nee Brickey) Ziebold and brother Frank M. Ziebold.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. April 15 at Ss Peter & Paul Church in Waterloo with Father Linus Umoren C.M. officiating.

Interment will ne at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis.

As an expression of sympathy, the family prefers memorial contributions to the, Randolph County IL Historical Society c/o Rosemary Dashner.