Maynard Keith Unruh was born on September 29, 1957, to Melvin and Goldie (Schmidt) Unruh. He was the fourth child and the baby of the family. His life was tragically taken in a vehicle accident on Saturday, June 20, 2026, close to his home in Oakley, Kansas.

Maynard, being the youngest of four, was taken care of by his older sister, Gloria, who spent many hours caring for him while his mother, Goldie, worked in the dairy barn and helped his father, Melvin, with the family farm.

He attended Copeland Elementary School through the eighth grade and later earned his GED. He was baptized into the Church of God in Christ Mennonite on December 10, 1970, by Minister Cecil Unruh. We as a family were all together on June 3 and shared our love, stories, and hopes for the future. We were looking forward to growing older together.

Throughout his life, Maynard made many friends and never met a stranger. He loved spending time in the saddle, trucking, and sharing stories with anyone willing to visit. He would often go up to Holdeman Mennonites at truck stops and ask them where they were from and what congregation they went to. He always got a chuckle out of surprising people with those questions. His horses, trucks, family, and friends were among the greatest joys of his life. In recent years, looking through his photographs of earlier days brought him many happy memories.

Maynard's warm personality, quick smile, and gift for conversation made him someone people genuinely enjoyed being around. He was a man who loved to tell many stories and be around family and friends, and was loved by many in return. Maynard married Shonda Bretz and together they shared 15 years of marriage. They remained lifelong friends. He also adopted Shonda's daughter, Holly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Goldie Unruh, and one niece, Rosalyn. Left to cherish his memory are his sister, Gloria Arnold and husband Milton; his brother, Lester Unruh and wife Linda; his sister, Marilyn Yost and husband Daymon; nieces and nephews Angie and family, Nicole and family, Ashley and family, Jason and family, Alex and family, Andrew and family, and Darwin and family. He is also survived by dear friends Allen Zerr, Rick Ardery, Shonda, and countless other friends too numerous to mention.

Maynard will be remembered for his gift for friendship, and the countless conversations that brightened the lives of those around him. He was loved by many and will be deeply missed..

Graveside service for Maynard will be held on Wednesday, July, 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Salem Mennonite Cemetery, Copeland. There is no visitation and the casket will remain closed. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guestbook at www.swaimfuneralchapel.com.