Mabel Jane Burt and Maxwell Thomas Ervin

MAXWELL THOMAS ERVIN, son of HELEN ALICE SMITH and ROSCOE NEWTON ERVIN, was born November 18, 1915 in Columbia Falls, Flathead, Montana,¹¹³⁹³ and died November 5, 2010.¹¹³⁹³

He married MABEL JANE BURT on October 5, 1940 in South Orange, Essex, New Jersey.¹²⁹³⁷ She was born March 22, 1919 in South Orange, Essex, New Jersey,¹²⁹³⁷ and died August 19, 2010 in Tucson, Pima, Arizona.¹²⁹³⁷

• Descendant Reports
  • Payton Ervin Descendant Report (Ancestor of Maxwell T. Ervin)
  • Thomas Young Descendant Report (Ancestor of Maxwell T. Ervin)
  • Alexander Blair Descendant Report (Ancestor of Maxwell T. Ervin)

Pomona Progress-Bulletin, September 24, 1940¹²⁹³⁸

Max Ervin to Wed In November In East

Of interest to Pomona friends is announcement of the engagement of Miss Mabel Jane Burt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Burt of South Orange, N. J., to Max Thomas Ervin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe N. Ervin of Pomona.

The wedding will take place in November. The couple will live in Springfield, Mass., where Mr. Ervin will be director of music in Springfield college as well as organist and choir director in Hope Congregational Church. He began his duties with the church September 1, but the college year will not open until October 1.

Both Miss Burt and Mr. Ervin were graduated in June from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, O. Mr. Ervin also received his B.A. degree from that institution.

Pomona Progress-Bulletin, October 18, 1940¹²⁹³⁹

Max Ervin Weds In Ceremony In East

Announcements have been received in Pomona of the marriage of Miss Mabel Jane Burt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Burt of South Orange, N. J., to Max Thomas Ervin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe N. Ervin of Pomona. The ceremony was performed at the home of the bride's parents on October 5.

Mr. and Mrs. Ervin are not at home at 165 High street, apartment five, Springfield, Mass. Mr. Ervin holds a position as director of music for Springfield college.

Both the bride and bridegroom were graduated last June from Oberlin Conservatory of Music at Oberlin, O.

Arizona Daily Star, August 29, 2010¹²⁹³⁷

Jane B. Ervin

1919-1910

Mabel Jane (Burt) Ervin, born March 22, 1919 in South Orange, NJ, died in Tucson, AZ on August 19, 2010 at the age of 91. The youngest of four children of Edward and Mabel (Rudd) Burt, she was christened Mabel Jane Burt but in subsequent years preferred the name Jane. Until she married she was also known by the nickname "Mide." Growing up in South Orange with great musical opportunities and training even during the Depression, Jane majored in violin performance at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. It was here that she met her future husband, Max. Upon graduation in 1940, Jane was chosen as soloist to play at the Conservatory's commencement. Jane and Max married on October 5th of that year and moved to Springfield, MA, where Max was a school music teacher. Jane helped found the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and served as its first concertmaster while starting to raise a family. In the mid-1940s the young family moved to New York, where Jane continued to play violin professional as Max pursued graduate work at Columbia University. In 1955 health issues brought the family to Tucson, where Jane taught private violin lessons and played in the Tucson Symphony and the University of Arizona Symphony, serving for a time as concertmaster. Jane also did volunteer work at the Veterans' Hospital and at Tucson Medical Center. Notwithstanding her considerable musical talent and gracious personality, Jane always made raising her family and support for her husband her primary focus in life. She is survived by her loving husband of nearly seven decades, Max Ervin and sons, Tom Ervin and Gerard Ervin, all of Tucson; daughter, Margaret "Peggy" Smith of Ontario, CA and seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The Ervin family is grateful for the help, sensitivity and care Jane and Max have received over the past few years form the personnel at Atria Bell Court Gardens, The Forum, Handmaker and Odyssey Hospice. An informal Memorial reception will be held at Adair Funeral Homes, Dodge Chapel, 1050 N. Dodge Blvd, Tucson, on Saturday, September 11, 2010, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers a donation be made a to a children's music program in the donor's local area or to another charity of the donor's choosing.

Arizona Daily Star, November 14, 2010¹¹³⁹³

Dr. Maxwell Thomas Ervin died on November 5, 2010 at the age of 94. Max was born in Columbia Falls, MT on November 18, 1915, the third child of Roscoe Newton Ervin and Helen Alice (Smith) Ervin. The family spent several years in Yakima, Washington, before settling in Pomona, California, where Max's father worked in the lumber industry. Max played piano in several "big band" era groups during his high school and college years, and graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in 1940. That same year he married his college sweetheart, Mabel Jane Burt. The couple moved to Springfield, MA, where Max was the music teacher at Tech High School and Springfield College. Following the births of two sons and a daughter the family moved to New York, where Max earned his doctorate in Music Education at Columbia University. In 1955, after six years a music educator on Long Island, the family moved to Tucson. He began teaching at Tucson High School, then became Director of Music for the Tucson Public Schools (now known as TUSD) from 1956 until his retirement in 1979. He led a talented and dedicated team of teachers, administrators and support personnel to build one of the most comprehensive public school music programs of any city of its size. In addition to his administrative post with TUSD, Max served as organist at Catalina Methodist Church and later at Valley Presbyterian Church in Green Valley. In retirement he drove for Meals on Wheels and was a popular piano soloist and leader of songfests at service clubs and retirement centers. Max was predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Jane and is survived by sons, Tom Ervin and Gerard Ervin of Tucson; daughter, Margaret "Peggy" Smith of Ontario, CA and seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at Adair Funeral Homes, Dodge Chapel, 1050 n. Dodge Blvd., on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to a music program in the donor's local area or to another charity of the donor's choosing.