Why A Huge Blue Spruce In Casper Neighborhood Is ‘Maxine’s Tree'

CASPER — There is a tree in a Casper neighborhood with roots that run deeper than any observer can see — straight to the memory of a mother who never gave up on the tree or on life despite all the storms that blew her way.

Casper resident Rena Olsen, now a Georgia-based author, uses the tree as an analogy when sharing a story about her late mother Maxine Landrum Thaxton’s sense of joy and resilience during a lifetime of challenges. Her mother’s last hurdle was Alzheimer’s disease.

Olsen chose to use a children’s book titled “Maxine’s Joy” to carry the lesson.

“My mom had Alzheimer’s, and I lost her really quite young,” Olsen said. “If you’ve ever loved someone who has Alzheimer’s, it’s hard for the patient of course, but really hard for the families.

“I was in the midst of a career and