- Date Of Birth: November 2, 1918
- Date Of Death: September 29, 2016
- State: New Mexico
Lola Margureet Maxwell, aka “Mug”, Margaret, or Aunt Mart, passed away on September 29, 2016, in Austin, Texas, just short of her 98th birthday. She was born November 2, 1918, in Stranger, Texas, the first-born of Floyd E. and Mary Ellen Swinnea. Stranger, a small community near Marlin, was the location of F. E.’s general store. Her three younger siblings-Beulah Lucille “Boots” Shaw, and twins Floyd Vernon “Sonny” Swinnea and Venita Florene “Sis” Tipton-all preceded her in death.
Mug married John Carter “Johnnie” Maxwell on November 26, 1937. They had 64 wonderful years together before Johnnie was taken by cancer in 2002. Mug and Johnnie met in McCamey, married, and soon after Johnnie was called to the Army. There they found life-long friends in Gene and Alma Hughs and Clyde and Bea Erwin. They were all part of the Greatest Generation. While Johnnie was away in the Pacific Theatre, Mug lived with her sister Boots and AJ Shaw in Andrews. During that time was when Jimmy was born. Mug, unable to have kids of her own, always felt her siblings’ children and the Maxwell nieces and nephew were part her kids, too.
After Johnnie’s time in the Army, they settled in Hobbs, New Mexico, at the start of the oil boom. There they operated Maxwell Photography Studio for over 50 years. The studio was just a block away from their home-the “famous” Pink House on Taylor Street. In addition to photographing many of the families of Hobbs and Lea County, they worked many years with the Miss New Mexico pageants and the Miss America pageant system, serving as chaperones, consultants, judges, and media representatives. Their photography portfolio included many Miss America’s, movie and TV personalities, and New Mexico elected officials. Two of Mug’s prize photos that she loved to show to folks at the retirement home were pictures of her with a very young Donald Trump and with Regis Philbin.
Johnnie and Mug were active members of the Taylor Street Church of Christ until they agreed to help start a sister congregation across town-Jefferson Street Church of Christ. They had many wonderful friends at both congregations who helped Mug after Johnnie died. The family would especially like to thank Jimmy Wagoner for his years of caring when there was no family nearby, as well as long-time family friend Barbara McFarlin and Mug’s doctor, Dr. John Kernan.
