Max Thomas Kafer
Max Thomas Kafer was born August 31, 1931 in Waurika, Oklahoma to Christian and Albertina Kafer. He passed from this life on Friday, March 11, 2011 at Lawton/Ft. Sill Veteran’s Center at the age of 79.
Max graduated from Irving High School in 1949, and then headed west to work in California and Colorado. On April 4, 1952 he married his high school sweetheart. Her first memories of Max were as a towheaded boy in striped overalls who could outrun almost everyone on the playground. That same year he joined the United States Air Force to serve his country for eight years during the Korean War.
He was stationed first in Alexandria, Louisiana, then was sent to Japan for 18 months before being stationed at Sheppard Air Force base in Wichita Falls, TX. Max and his family then lived in Hawaii for two years while he was stationed at Hickam Air Force base in Honolulu. In 1960 he returned to Ryan, Oklahoma to farm and ranch. Max raised beef cattle and parakeets and created a Bermuda grass sprigging business. Max also worked as a carpenter and built a home from 1968-70 for his family.
On August 4, 1940, on a Sunday morning at Irving Baptist Church, Max accepted Christ. That afternoon, he and his brother Edgar and several others were baptized in Red River. That night his brother Willie was killed in a motorcycle accident. Max was a man of faith who served his church as a Sunday school teacher and was ordained as a Deacon in 1978 at the First Baptist Church of Ryan. He believed in supporting youth in the development of their faith and spent many weekends helping to repair cabins at the Falls Creek church camp in Davis, Oklahoma.
Max was also an avid hunter and enjoyed reading, fishing in Red River, and, in later years, riding his bicycle at dusk along the country roads.
He was a loving husband and a proud father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was content to stay at home in “God’s country” but enjoyed hearing of the travel adventures of his children. His family has shared that he was a man who showed his love through acts of service and that he was always willing to lend a helping hand to family, friends and neighbors.
Friends have shared that Max could often be found with a quart-sized eggnog can of Helen Beth’s sweet tea in his hand and a good joke ready to share. Many friends fondly remember Max for his famous sayings, one of which Brother Jason recalls hearing each Sunday on the importance of being physically fit, mentally alert and morally straight.
Max is survived by his wife of 58 years, Helen Beth Allen Kafer and 4 children, 10 grand children and one great grandchild. They are Mark Kafer and his wife Mary of Colleyville, TX and their children James, Grace and Rachel; Karen Kafer of Washington, DC; Kathy Kafer Malthaner and her husband Mark of Norman and their two children Zac and Anne, and her husband Taylor; and Gary Kafer and his wife Beverly of Duncan and their daughters Hannah, Sarah, Leah and Rebekah, as well as Tara Grant and her daughter Kiera of Needles, California. He was preceded in death by his parents, eight brothers and a sister. He also has two surviving sisters, Elsie and Kitty, and many nephews and nieces.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm Monday, March 14, 2011 at the First Baptist Church in Ryan with Rev. Jason Vance officiating. Burial will be at the Ryan Cemetery under the direction of Dudley Funeral Home in Ryan. Lunch will precede funeral at 11 am the First Baptist Church Fellowship hall. Visitation will be Sunday from noon - 8PM with family receiving visitors from 4-6PM at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Ryan. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.dudleyfuneralhomes.com or to Route One, Box 46, Ryan, OK 73565.