Saturday, August 20, 2005

Obituary

Margaret "Peggy" Madden
Peggy (Marble) Madden, 80, of Great Falls passed away Friday at her home after a short battle with cancer. Born Margaret Lucille Marble on May 25, 1925 in St. Paul, MN to Faye and Lucille (Hennecke) Marble, Peggy was the apple of her daddy's eye. She was lovingly looked after by the Graff family, who treated her as one of their own.
Peggy moved to Great Falls with her father as a child and graduated from Great Falls High in 1943. She went on to work as one of the first telephone operators in Great Falls. It was during a dance at the NCO Club that she met John Brandel Madden, and the two fell instantly in love. They married on June 10, 1947 in St. Paul, and began their married lives together in John's hometown of Rochester, MI, and began their family there. They moved to Billings where they lived until their divorce, at which time Peggy returned to Great Falls where she would live the remainder of her life.
Peggy had a very successful career selling advertising for the Billings Gazette, the Great Falls Tribune, and the Minuteman before retiring in 1985.In her retirement she enjoyed traveling with her friends, playing bridge, knitting, and reading. Over the course of 30 years Peggy purchased over 100 homes in Great Falls, remodeling and decorating them before putting them back on the market. These "fix-ups" were her passion and one of her great joys in life. She also very much enjoyed taking shopping trips to Lethbridge, Alberta, and searched for bargains at garage sales every weekend in the summertime. She loved small children and animals and had many pets during her lifetime. Peggy woke early every day to read the Tribune and do the crossword puzzle. The true light of her life were her many grandchildren and, later, her great-grandchildren.
Peggy is survived by three daughters: Colleen Madden of MN, Kelly King of WA, and Eileen Madden of Great Falls; nine grandchildren: Rich (& Sue) Powell of MN, Cable (& Lisa) Tucker of OR, Shelly Powell of MN, Molly (& Larry) Dufrane of Great Falls, Annie Patrick of WA, Bethany Madden of MN, Maleah Norby of Great Falls, Tiffany (& Dean) Austad of IN, and Matthew Norby of Great Falls; and 6 great-grandchildren: Brittany, Tucker, Barrett and Lillianna Dufrane of Great Falls, Felix Powell of MN, and Lucas Powell of MN; and her stepfather Lyrton "Mac" McClintock of OK.
Peggy died at her home with her family by her side. She will be greatly missed. Donations can be sent to Peace Hospice who were so helpful to Peggy and her family during her illness.
Services will be Wed. August 24th at 10am at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. A Celebration of Life will follow in the Top of the Falls Room at the Great Falls International Airport. Anyone who knew Peggy is welcome to come and join us as we share our memories and celebrate her long and happy life.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Molly, I am so sorry for your pain right now. The obituary (and what you've written in the last week) is a beautiful tribute to your grandmother's special life. You are in my prayers, Molly; I wish I could be there with you.
Wendy

August 20, 2005 3:43 PM  

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