Madge Ruth May, 105, Luverne, died Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, at the Good Samaritan Society – Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne.
A memorial service will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Luverne at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, with a time of fellowship one hour prior to the service. Burial of cremains will be in the Hickman Cemetery in Hickman, Nebraska.
Madge Ruth Lesoing was born on a farm near Hickman, Nebraska, July 29, 1917, to Frank and Etta May (Williams) Lesoing. She attended country school at District #94 and Hickman High School, graduating in 1934.
On Aug. 2, 1938, she was married to H. Lynn May, to which union was born a son, Marlynn, and a daughter, Janet. They farmed until 1947 in the Hickman/Lincoln area, at which time they moved to Hickman, where they remained. Madge was employed at Hovland-Swanson Co. in Lincoln for 28 years as a bookkeeper/office supervisor, retiring in 1981.
The family’s life centered around the Hickman Presbyterian Church, where Madge served as an elder, Sunday School teacher and choir member for many years, a mission leader traveling to the Philippine Islands in 1989 for a mission tour, active with the Hickman Presbyterian Women and served on various Presbyterian committees. She participated in a Lifetime Health program for a number of years and was a volunteer with the RSVP.
In 1998, after the death of her husband, she moved from her lifetime community to Luverne, Minnesota, to be near her daughter and family. While there, she was affiliated with the First Presbyterian Church but maintained her membership with the Hickman church.
In Luverne she was active in the church women’s mission activities and study, continued the RSVP volunteer work, and was active in the Pink Ladies organization at the local hospital, all while enjoying her family.
Madge is survived by her son, Marlynn (Ellie) May, Madison, Wisconsin, and La Quinta, California; her daughter, Janet (Raney) Israelson, Luverne, Minnesota; four grandchildren, Brant Israelson, Hesperia, California; Jodi (Gary) Morton-May, Madison, Wisconsin; Doug (Dawn) May, Madison, Wisconsin; and Staci (Monte) Zwaan, Luverne, Minnesota; six great-grandchildren, Tyler (Renee) and Tanner Israelson, MacKenzi (TJ) and Chazni Zwaan, Meghan and Garrett May; four great-great-grandchildren, Austin, Connor, Lennon and Lola; and nephews, nieces and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lynn, of 56 years; parents; her sister, Francis (Ben); brother, Melvin (Loraine); grandson, Brant; and great-grandson, Zach.
Arrangements were provided by Dingmann Funeral Home of Luverne, dingmannandsons.com.
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