Georgialee Madsen

Georgialee Madsen was born on June 11, 1923, in Cleburne, Texas and was guided to her Heavenly home by a host of angels on Sunday, June 4, 2023; seven days shy of her 100th birthday. She had made her home at Memorial Community Care in Aurora since March 2015.
Her parents were George Stephens and Alma (Faires) Stephens of Cleburne, Texas. She had one younger brother, Dan Stephens, also of Cleburne. Her older sister, Louise, died at birth. They all preceded her in death.
In the summer after her junior year at Cleburne High School, she visited one of her uncle, aunt and cousin in Los Angeles, Calif. It was during that visit, that she was introduced to Raymond Woodrow Madsen of Hampton. He was a friend of her cousin, as they worked together at a local hospital. 
After graduating high school, she returned to L.A., marrying Ray on July 3, 1941. Living in Los Angeles for a short time, they eventually moved to Texas, to be near her family. They spent most of their time in Fort Worth, becoming very active in the Lutheran Church and raising their four children.
Two weeks before Christmas 1961, they moved to the South Bay area of Los Angeles, where Ray furthered his advancement in the aerospace industry.
Settling down in California, Georgialee remained a homemaker, and became active in their local church. She loved sewing, knitting, counted cross stitch and quilting. She was exceptional in all that she did, and had a great eye for fabric and color.
In 1964, a dear friend had asked if she would be her assistant teaching kindergarten at their church school, in Torrance, Calif. She agreed and loved her time teaching and helping the children learn academic and social skills, and the love of Jesus Christ. She eventually took a course in early education at a local junior college, to receive her certificate in that field. She continued teaching for approximately 23 years, and then went back to her hobbies full time!
In December 2001, Ray and Georgialee were ready to leave the L.A. area after 40 years of watching the area become so conjested and over populated. Ray asked Georgialee where she might like to move. She said Nebraska and he about fell over. For years she had said, “you couldn’t pay me to live in Nebraska!” So they moved back to Hampton, where they were happy and content.
Besides her father, mother, sister and brother, who preceded her in death, was her husband, Raymond, her son Don Ray, a grandson Philip, and her son-in-law Joseph Wesley Durham.
Left to survive her are: son Karl Stephens and daughters Linda Gail and Sylvia Louise (Durham), grandchildren Colin Madsen, Alexandra (Garcia), Bryan (Amber) Madsen, Ann Madsen and three great-granddaughters Grace McKinley Madsen, Mia Ray Madsen and Lia Ray Madsen and several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life service will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23 at United Lutheran Church in Hampton (812 1st Street). Inurnment will follow the service at the United Lutheran cemetery (3 miles north of the church, at 1st Street and 20th Road). Pastor Ricardo Riqueza will officiate at both.
A light lunch will be served by the women of the church in the fellowship hall.
Memorials may be donated to United Lutheran Church, Hampton, or to the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, for the upkeep of the Danish Lutheran Church, in memory/honor of Georgialee.
Condolences may be emailed to the family through the mortuary’s website at www.higbymortuary.com.