Inspirational, courageous and loved immediately by everyone she met, Madelyn Nicole Greene, 4, melted our hearts before entering heaven a little before 2 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014. Succumbing to neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer, Maddy was surrounded by parents Brian and Nicole Greene and grandparents Wayne and Karen Greene at the time of her passing at home in Freeport.
Born Oct. 26, 2009, in Monroe, Wis., Maddy made the most of every minute of each day and found a beautiful way to live each day in the moment. She cherished playing with her siblings, Thomas (17), Jennifer (14) and especially Natalie (6), who was her playmate and best friend. Like many children, Maddy enjoyed watching Dora the Explorer, Max and Ruby, Bubble Guppies and other Nick Jr. and Disney Jr. television shows. She relished helping Mommy plant and water flowers, riding her various bikes or jumping and sliding on the bouncy castle in the yard, and even cuddling under a blanket to watch a ballgame with Daddy. Often wearing a dress and/or her favorite color pink, Maddy adored other activities like painting/artwork, Play-Doh, blowing bubbles, playing with balloons, baking cookies, and trips to McDonald’s, in particular for ice cream on Happy Fridays.
Maddy sang, danced and snuggled her way into our souls. When asked shortly after her diagnosis of her favorite places to visit, Maddy answered St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, the Pearl City Daycare, the Read Park Pool and the Freeport Public Library. Maddy valued and never went to the hospital without pink blankie, prayer shawl, baby Dora and her purple hippo pillow. A big personality and mature beyond her years, often reminding her parents that she was “not a baby,” Maddy found ways to bring joy to everyone and maintained a fighting, feisty yet affectionate, caring spirit for others until the end.
Maddy is survived by her parents, siblings, and grandparents, who also include Dan and Diane Bauer of Durand, Wis.; Aunt Julie and Uncle Aaron and cousins Mariah, Brady and Marissa Katzenberger, all of Freeport; Uncle Adam and Aunt Christina and cousins Dylan, R.J., Seth, and Gavin Bauer of Durand, Wis.; and Uncle Jon Bauer of Ellsworth, Wis. She is preceded in death and being cared for in heaven by her great-grandparents Wilfred and Elma Greene, and Marcellus and Irene Keleher, all of Galena; Wilfred and Lorraine Bauer, and William and Gertrude Weber, all of Durand, Wis.; and beloved, long-time pet cat Cleo.
The public is welcome to attend the visitation, which will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Freeport. The funeral service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 20, also at St. Thomas Church with the burial service following at Oakland Cemetery in Freeport. If they wish, family and friends are encouraged to honor Maddy by displaying or wearing something with pink in it to the funeral, which is being arranged by Law-Jones Funeral Homes in conjunction with Walker Mortuary in Freeport.
A memorial scholarship is being planned to honor Maddy and be awarded to future students who plan to become nurses. While she was blessed to have many great doctors, specialists and techs here in Freeport and, principally, at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wis., where she was treated for the past 13-plus months, Maddy was particularly touched by the many outstanding nurses, especially from AFCH primary nurses Wanda Meeteer and Natasha Kessenich, who comforted and cared for her.
Maddy will forever have a place in our hearts and minds. She is our peanut, pumpkin, princess, sweetie and angel. We look forward to the day in which we will see her again. Maddy has taught us so much in so short of a life. She is greatly missed.
Madelyn's family would like to share a link to her CarePage, where you can follow her journey. Log in here to visit Madelyn's page.