Maxine Newton passed away on August 1, 2010 after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

 

Maxine was an “Oswego Girl’ having grown up in her family home on 6th Street.  Her parents came to Oswego as newlyweds in 1918.  Maxine Charlotte Chaney was born in December of 1923 at the Oregon City Hospital.  Her mother Mary used to walk from Oswego along the Willamette River to appointments in Oregon City.  Her father, Charles, was a lineman / electrician for the old Red Electric Line.  Both were well known citizens in early Oswego.

Her sister, Dr. Thelma Chaney, a college professor preceded her in death in 2005.

 

Maxine attended Oswego Primary School, which later became Lakewood School, and then on to West Linn High because there was no high school yet in Oswego.  She was a high school scholar and voted “Most Outstanding Senior girl” by her class at West Linn.  Following graduation Maxine attended Linfield College. 

 

At Linfield, she met her husband to be, Oran Newton. He grew up in Portland attending Franklin High School.  Their college experience was interrupted by WWII when “Newt” volunteered for the US Navy and Maxine returned to Oswego and work at the First National Bank in downtown Portland.

 

After the war, they were married in Portland in 1945, and then moved to Corvallis where Newt earned his degree Food Sciences from Oregon State University.  It was in Corvallis that their daughter Janice was born. 

 

In the years after graduation they lived in Oswego, Pendleton and Eugene as Newt pursued his career in management with Safeway grocery stores. Son Tom was born in Pendleton.

 

In 1959 Maxine and Newt took a big risk and pursued the dream of owning their own business.  They returned to Oswego and bought an established business called “Rose’s 24 Flavors” at 39 B Avenue. 

 

“Newton’s Ice Cream” became an institution for 20 years in Lake Oswego.  Newt worked late hours manufacturing home made ice cream in the back room and Max was always out front charming the customers, many who became family friends. 

 

They won national awards for the quality of their all natural “homemade” ice cream, and received media attention for their “Toofers” which were an original creation.  Newton’s famous ice cream snow balls even graced the table at President Ford’s campaign banquet at the Memorial Coliseum.  Many longtime Oswego families still lament the absence of a good “Short-and-Thick”.

 

There were as many as 30 flavors of ice cream on the board at a time.  Newt created many seasonal fresh fruit flavors of which fresh peach was the most famous.  Champagne Sherbet, Opera House Fudge, and Crème de Menthe were some originals that customers would line up for.  There was even a rose-flavored sherbet to celebrate Rose Festival.

 

Max and Newt took a special personal interest in the local kids.  Working at Newton’s was a unique opportunity to get job experience while having a lot of fun!  Max even made the matching uniforms for the many high school girls who had their first real job as super scoopers!  Some of the local boys used to pedal ice cream sandwiches around LO on their bikes with insulated bags and dry ice Newt provided out of the back of the store. These kids were like family and many kept in touch with Max until the day she died.

 

After 20 years, they decided to sell the shop in 1979.  Unfortunately, Newton’s atmosphere was never quite the same and after a year and a half it was closed forever.

 

Max went on to work for 17 years as a bookkeeper for West Linn Thriftway and Newt owned the West Linn OLCC outlet until his sudden death in 1982.  They had been married for 37 years.  Following her retirement Max took many trips with friends and family and especially enjoyed recording the family history. 

 

Her favorite thing was to see people light up when they recognize her and take the time to recall their memories of the ice cream store and their favorite delectable delights. It’s been over 20 years since the store closed she still ran into people who remembered, even at the assisted living residence where she spent most of her final months.

 

Maxine is survived by her two children and their families.  Daughter Janice married her high school sweetheart, Ken Becker and they gave Max and Newt two grandchildren; Kathrine and Brent, and two great-grandchildren, Simon and Walter.  Janice and Ken live in the Stafford area.

 

Son Tom married “the little girl across the street”; Cheri Creighton and they have two children as well; Kyle and Cori.  Tom and Cheri recently moved from West Linn back to Lake Oswego and live not far from where they grew up.

 

Maxine will be buried along side her husband and her parents in a private ceremony at Willamette National Cemetery. 

 

The family suggests that donations in her honor can be sent to the Oswego Pioneer Cemetery. 

http://www.oswegoheritage.org/history/cemetery.html