She was born in Eureka, the daughter of Edwin Tucker Wood and Adalia Pauline (Dicke) Wood whose family are well known in Eureka history. The Tucker family helped found the city and donated land to create Eureka City Park. She was raised in the historical Tucker home at the end of South Elm Street and graduated from Eureka High School. She attended the Lindenwood University in Missouri, Kansas University and then traveled to Paris, France in the late ‘60s to attend the legendary Sorbonne University for 2 years. When she returned, she worked as a journalist at The Eureka Herald; also founded, owned and operated by Edwin and Adalia Wood.

Madeline was united in marriage to Roby Charles “Chuckie” Anderson, son of Meriem (Roby) Anderson and Harry Anderson, Jr. of Dead End Ranch in Eureka and made their home there. To this union, one daughter, Theresa, was born.

When Chuckie passed away, and her father, Edwin, soon after, she and her daughter moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1979 to start a new life. Madeline continued her extensive education earning her Master of Science degree in Library Science at Denver University and worked at the Boulder Public Library for 25 years, retiring in 2003. Before and after retirement, Madeline and her daughter would visit Eureka often to be with both sides of the family. As many know, Meriem (Roby) Anderson was a Women’s Air Force Service Pilot (WASP) during WWII. Madeline made a point to honor Meriem by getting her to every one of their reunions around the country until Meriem passed away in 2018. Special trips were made to the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas with Meriem, and in 2022, Madeline helped create a special day of honor for Meriem and the Museum.

She raised her daughter encouraging her to pursue her passions – being an avid equestrian herself, she and the family encouraged Theresa to become a professional equestrian focusing on dressage, an Olympic event. Later she supported her when she wanted to become a Librarian herself.

Madeline was a past attendant of Christ Lutheran Church of Eureka along with her parents and took Theresa there in her childhood and every Christmas when they visited Eureka. Edwin and Adalia and other close relatives had their funeral services there as well. She and Theresa made close family friends in Boulder and attended First Presbyterian Church, and later Grace Lutheran Church.

She was a member of a P.E.O. chapter in Boulder and Boulder Bible Study group and several other social groups. Most important, she and her daughter were charter members of Jubilate Sacred Singers where they were able to express their singing talents and Christian faith with communities in the Boulder/Denver metro area and went on tours in the South, the Pacific Northwest and Canada, New England, and were honored to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York for a benefit for the homeless and performed several times at the famous Red Rocks Theater in Morrison, Colorado for their Easter Sunrise Services.

She is survived by her daughter, Theresa Anderson of Lakewood, Colo.; and brother, George Wood of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, December 8, at Christ Lutheran Church, Eureka with Reverend Brian Bauer officiating. Entombment will follow at Greenwood Abbey, Greenwood Cemetery, Eureka. Memorial services in Boulder will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Contributions may be sent in care of Koup Family Funeral Home, PO Box 595, Eureka KS 67045, which is overseeing arrangements. Condolences may be left for the family online, at koupfunerals.com.