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Maynard Howard Loe, fourth child of Erick and Hannah (Hinseth) Loe, was born February 19, 1916 on the family farm two miles west of Irene, South Dakota. He died at the age of 101 years, 9 months, and 24 days on December 13, 2017 at Sunset Manor in Irene. He was a lifelong resident of Yankton County. When he turned 100 years old, February 19, 2016 was proclaimed as “Maynard Loe Day” in South Dakota.

Maynard grew up on the family farm where he resided for 95 years until moving to Sunset Manor in December 2010. He was baptized and confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church, rural Irene. He attended school in Irene through the eighth grade, graduating as the salutatorian of his class.

Maynard was a successful farmer, raising hogs and feeding cattle in addition to producing various grain crops. He farmed for many years with his father and his brother Ernest. He saw many changes in farming methods over his lifetime, from using eight work horses on the farm and picking corn by hand to utilizing modern and efficient farm machinery.

Maynard was an active member of both Salem Lutheran Church and Calvary Lutheran Church, holding various offices in each. He was also active in community affairs, always encouraging anything that meant improvement. He was instrumental in the formation of Sunset Manor, serving on the Board since its inception in 1963 and was elected President in 1965. He retired after 29 years of continuous service to the home. He also served on the boards of Turkey Clay Watershed, Yankton County Livestock Association, and Yankton County Farmers Home Administration.

Maynard was very proud of his Norwegian heritage, fluent in the Norwegian language, and was privileged to have been able to take two trips to visit relatives in Oppdal, Norway, where his father and grandfather Stengrim Hinseth were born and lived until immigrating to the United States. It was important for Maynard to remain connected to his relatives in Norway and encouraged this for the next generations. He was a past member of the Sons of Norway Lodge in Sioux Falls.

Maynard enjoyed reading and staying abreast of current events. He thoroughly read the newspapers and watched news programs to keep himself informed. He and Ernie enjoyed taking drives, looking at the crops and keeping up with changes in the countryside. He especially enjoyed visiting with friends and family and reminiscing about the past. He could tell many good stories about adventures he had experienced and the way that life was in Irene and Yankton County.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Sidney and Ernest Loe; sisters Mattie Loe, Lillian (Merle) Johnson, and Signe (Gustav) Brunsvig; nieces Carolyn (Donald) Kroeller and Pamela Murra; and nephew Kenneth Brunsvig.

He is survived by his niece and nephews-in-law Deborah and Stephen Lamb of Atlantic, Iowa and Vern Murra of Sioux Falls; great nieces and their families Erika, Brandon, Sonja and Klara Cave of Williamsburg, Virginia, Kaarin, Bradley, Hannah and Emma Fasse of Grimes, Iowa, and Leigh Anne Kroeller and Lamiyah Harris of Lincoln, Nebraska; and many other relatives and friends. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.