Max I. Elliott

Max Elliott, 89, of Traverse City, passed away on September 2, 2015. He
was born in Buckley, Michigan to Harold and Elsie Elliott on September 26,
1925. He was delivered by his grandmother, Ella Pringle, the local midwife.
Max died knowing he was deeply loved by his family and that they loved
each other deeply too. He was at peace.
Max was, above all, a dedicated husband and father. He was married to
Dorothy for 68 years and he cherished and adored her. At Thanksgiving
he always expressed his gratitude for the life they made together. Twenty
years ago he almost singlehandedly nursed Dorothy back to health from
cancer and meningitis. He lifted her, medicated her, fed her, and willed her
to get better. She did.
Max was very proud that his seven children all valued marriage as much as
he did. He counted the years of their marriages often, over 249 years so
far.
He loved watching his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren
celebrating their times together. Max did not participate in the
shenanigans -- charades, talent shows, water fights, ball games and
pranks. While he was never a downhill skier himself, he spent hundreds of
cold and wet hours on the ski slopes watching his kids and their teammates
run gates. He was usually a race official at the starting gate. His eyes
would sparkle when one of his kids was in the starting gate and he would
softly say, "Let 'em run."
Max loved playing euchre. He was first at the table when the euchre cards
were brought out. He loved those tournaments. He was a shrewd player
who never trumped his partner's ace.
Max's attitude of abundance made him a friend and father-figure to many.
He believed that there was always room for one more in his circle of care.
That circle included friends and relatives of his children, old and new
neighbors, and fellow horse pull fans. He enjoyed hearing, telling, and
retelling stories about their lives. His final days were enriched by their
visits, notes, and calls.
Hard work was his way of life and a lesson he taught all of his family. A
family motto was, "Dad's home. Look busy." He would be proud of his
youngest great granddaughter's recent Instagram post, "Hard work beats
talent when talent doesn't work hard."
Max worked at several jobs. He spent most of his working years buying and
selling cattle. He even had his own cattle truck. He was a skilled butcher.
He also worked for the State of Michigan as a livestock expert and as a
weights and measures official. He relished physical labor but he also had
an incredibly agile mind. He could listen to complicated number problems
and have a solution in seconds. He had an amazing sense of direction.
Roads, named and unnamed, were all in his head. He never got lost. He
never needed an electronic contact list. He knew names, faces and family
histories without such help.
After Max retired, he and Dorothy traveled extensively. Their motor home
criss-crossed the entire United States. Their children never knew where
their parents were, probably by design. They cruised to Alaska. They also
toured Europe twice with their best friends. The trips were organized by a
favorite polka band. Max celebrated a birthday doing the chicken dance at
Oktoberfest in Munich.
Max was connected to nature in a special way. He had a lifetime
attachment to hunting. He shared this passion with his brothers, sons,
brothers-in-law, nephews and grandsons. Until his late 80's, he spent
countless days afield hunting deer in Michigan as well as chasing elk in the
Colorado Rockies and pheasants in South Dakota. He loved nothing more
than filling his pockets full of candy bars, fixing a thermos of strong, black
coffee and heading out into the fields.
Max's gardens were legendary in their bounty. Seed packets in February.
Onion sets and peas in March and April. Seedlings in May and June. He
just added dirt, water, and hard work to create a harvest for friends and
family. He died leaving lots of tomatoes on the vine, a fitting
remembrance.
His connection to horses was almost as strong. He grew up when draft
horses were essential to a farm, and he loved nothing better than watching
horse pulling contests with his friends.
Max is survived by his wife Dorothy, his children Roxanne Reschke (Dave),
Susan McGarry (John), Gene (Conni), Janice Shugart (Bruce), Joseph
(Sheryl), Daniel (Mary Jo), Jon (Sue); his grandchildren Misha Elliott Green
(Jason), Katherine Reschke Harp (Andy), Chad Elliott, Ben Elliott, Paul
Elliott, Jessica Elliott, Hannah Elliott, Max Elliott, Kelsi Elliott, Colin Elliott
and his great grandchildren Ryan Green, Bryn Green, Sophie Harp and
Ryan Harp.
Max's family will be having a celebration of his life later this fall. In the
meantime, Dorothy would love to hear a memory from you at her new
home at Boardman Lake Glen, 1400 Brigadoon Court, Inverness #5,
Traverse City, MI 49686.
The family requests that any memorial donations in Max's honor be sent to
the Window Replacement Fund at the St. Mary-Hannah School, 2912 West
M-113, Kingsley, MI 49649, or to the Preserve Hickory
Fund, 233 North Madison, Traverse City, Michigan 49684.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and memories with Max's family at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com .

The family is being cared for by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.