Maxine Edna Knippa

March 16, 1935 - April 16, 2026

Maxine Edna Knippa (Max), 91, of Georgetown, Texas, passed away peacefully on April 16, 2026 surrounded by her family.

Max was born on March 16, 1935 to Walter and Mildred Kreinheder in Cleveland, Ohio. A child of an Army Colonel, Max and her family moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas during her early childhood, and later to Boerne, Texas during her high school years. After graduating from Boerne High School, Max attended Texas Lutheran College in Seguin, Texas, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education. It was at TLC where she met the love of her life, Howard. Max and Howard were married on June 14, 1959 at St. John Lutheran Church in Boerne, Texas. The couple moved to Austin, Texas and had 3 children; Stephen, Karen, and Sharon. While raising the children, Max worked at Lutheran Social Services of Texas, the Texas Department of Health, and Planned Parenthood of Austin, among other school-related jobs. After emptying the nest, the couple built a home on 2 oak-shaded acres and enjoyed 25 years of sunrises overlooking the Texas hill country.

Throughout her life, nothing was more important to Max than family. She adored her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and embraced her many in-laws as her own siblings. The gifts that she gave to the world were many, and all of them given with her unique creativity and sense of humor. Among her myriad talents, Max took up such endeavors as short story writing, purse making, painting, needlework, and, together with Howard, a six-decade singing legacy starting with the TLC touring choir and continuing through their beloved church choirs. She was a master family chef and culinary matriarch of making recipes “out of her head.” She could yodel. In her later years, Max enjoyed rides through the country along Cow Creek, and watching golden cheeked warblers and painted buntings from the kitchen window. To the end, she was devoted to the Lord, and never wavered from her spirit of acceptance and empathy for all walks of life. We have been blessed by her humor, innocence, and overwhelming love. She will forever be cherished by her family and friends.

Max is survived by her husband Howard Knippa of Georgetown, Texas; son Stephen Knippa and wife Carla Knippa, daughter Karen Murphy and husband Paul Murphy, daughter Sharon Brudner and husband TJ Brudner, grandchildren Clay Knippa and wife Amber Knippa, Kelli Deardorff and husband Cody Deardorff, Ella Murphy and fiancé Blazer Humphreys, Liam Murphy, Luke Murphy, Harrison Brudner, and great-grandchildren Kate Knippa, Madeline Knippa, August Knippa, and Blakely Deardorff, as well as a long list of loving relatives and friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Mildred Illenberger Kreinheder and Walter Kreinheder, and sister Shirley Kreinheder Howell.

Visitation and funeral will be held at Mission Liberty Hill Lutheran Church, 381 County Road 213, Liberty Hill, Texas, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., funeral will begin at 11:00 a.m..

Interment at 1:30 p.m., Lakeland Hills Memorial Park, 4219 Park Road 4, Burnet, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Susan G. Komen fund (komen.org), the American Cancer Society (American Cancer Society), or the Mission Liberty Hill Lutheran Church building fund (missionlibertyhill.com).