Louis Edgar Maxfield died on March 17, 2023, in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Born to Lesle and Marguerite (Dodge) Maxfield on May 22, 1928, in Tunbridge, Vermont, the second of their seven children, Louis lived his early life on the family farm there.

In 1945, the Maxfield family made the big move to a river bottom land farm in North Hartland, Vermont, which they would come to name Lemax Farm.

Louis completed his high school education in nearby White River Junction, graduating with the Class of 1946 of Hartford High School. He then returned to the family farm, joining forces with his parents to build a herd of registered Holstein cattle.

He met the woman who would become his wife, Margaret 'Peggy' Mayhew, in 1947. They married in October 1949, and sons Lowell and Cecil were born to them in 1952 and 1954. Peggy predeceased Louis in November 2002. After Peggy's death, Louis would go on to marry Bennie Hendrix of Fort Pierce, Florida, who survives him.

Louis was a farmer, first and foremost. He found contentment and a certain spiritual quality to the husbanding of land and animals. He took pride in looking out across a field of newly emerging corn seedlings; if the Spring planting was done in time, he would escape to nearby brooks to fish. Louis enjoyed judging cattle, especially with young members of 4-H, with whom he hoped to pass along his knowledge of good cattle confirmation.

In addition to his farm work, Louis was a 33rd degree Mason, Selectman for the Town of Hartland, Moderator of the Hartland Town Meeting for some years, and President of the Vermont and New England Holstein Associations.

Louis was also a Licensed Local Pastor with the United Methodist Church, having received the credential through Wesley Theological Seminary. In this capacity, he enjoyed officiating at weddings, and was honored to be asked to assist at funerals. His time with the Union Village Church stood out as a particularly memorable time in his life.

In his later-in-life retirement, Louis enjoyed a good game of billiards, horseshoes, and golf. He and Bennie shared seasonal homes in both Vermont and Florida, but his heart was always in his beloved Vermont.

Louis was predeceased by his brothers, Dick and Bob, and sister Betty. He is survived by his sisters Lorna, Marjorie, and Bunny, as well as his children, Lowell (wife Carol) and Cecil (husband Stephen Lloyd).

A graveside memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Monday, May 22, 2023, in the Hartland Village Cemetery in Hartland, VT.

Any memorial contributions may be directed to The Upper Valley Land Trust, 19 Buck Road, Hanover, NH 03755, www.UVLT.org