Obituary: Madeline Edwards

Her childhood was full of loved ones who gathered often. After chores, she recalled playing games and swimming. In her own words, “Indian Creek ran through the middle of the farm and we children had fun playing in it, fishing and catching crawdads, which Mother cooked for us. The creek was dammed up into a pond.”

Madeline’s earliest childhood memory was singing “Love Lifted Me” with her sister. She learned to play the piano, organ, saxophone, and guitar. “We always had music in the family,” she remembered. “We were all quite faithful practicing.” She was also a faithful Christian and another of her fondest memories was attending the Valley Christian Church at the north end of Alameda Way.

After graduating, Madeline could not attend college for “lack of money.” As she put it, “I wanted to become a doctor and was always interested in anything that related to medicine or care of the body.” Nevertheless, she was always passionate about self-education.

In June 1941, Madeline married Maynard “Chris” Christensen at Valley Christian Church. They moved to Monmouth, where Chris was studying; then, to assist the war effort, they relocated to Portland. Chris worked in the shipyards while Madeline took bookkeeping jobs until the war ended. Then they moved back to Monmouth so Chris could complete school, after which returning to Hood River. They had two daughters, Eileen (1945) and Jeanne (1948).

In May 1952, Madeline married her true love, Charles Edwards. Theirs was a 53-year partnership, ended only by his death in 2005. Their son, Thomas, was born in 1955 and the family lived in Fresno, Calif., before returning to Hood River in 1961 to take up farming. Charlie learned how to tend orchard from his father-in-law. The couple ran Edwards Orchards as a team and were eventually joined by their son. They remodeled a home on the family property for themselves. Madeline’s favorite part of the house was the living room’s view of the Hood River Valley and Mount Adams.

They helped build Hood River Valley Christian Church. Madeline taught Sunday School, played piano, organ, and directed choir. They had a busy social life and large circle of friends. She loved gardening, sewing, cooking, and entertaining. Cats were her favorite animal. She adored the Weather Channel, crosswords and Sudoku, listening to hymns, and always wanted to learn something new.

Madeline was a member of the State Christian Women’s Fellowship Board, Rebekahs Lodge, Order of the Eastern Star, Back Acre Garden Club, Hood River Community Concert Board, Mid-Columbia Chamber Chorus, the Pioneer Association, Hood River County Museum Board, and Daughters of the American Revolution. She passed her love of ancestry on to one of her grandsons and the two shared hours discussing her research and pouring over the family records and photographs Madeline had collected. He follows in her footsteps as the family historian.

Madeline was a tough, determined woman. She lived life on her own terms, with Jesus by her side. As she said, “I have had a strong faith in God and His purpose for my life ever since I was baptized at age 14.”

(Visit www.andersonstributecenter.com or www.findagrave.com for the full obituary.)