Teresa Ann Madden (Wingard), aged 74, passed away peacefully on March 17, 2024, in Inman, Kansas at the Pleasant View Nursing Home. She was born on February 7, 1950, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was adopted by Claude (Skinny) Wingard and Ethel (Starts) Wingard at birth. Teresa spent her formative years in Alva, Oklahoma, where her father's work with Cities Service Gas Company took the family across different locations.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Gary.
Teresa is survived by her husband, John Madden; her children: son Jason Lutz of Wichita, Kansas and daughter Makayla Schropp and husband Chris of McPherson, Kansas. She was also blessed with granddaughters Sierra and Arianna Lutz of Columbia, Missouri. Her sister, Donna Tuttle and husband Howard of Louisville, Colorado also survive her, as well as a number of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Teresa graduated from Hesston High School in 1968 and embarked on a journey of family and love. She married Leon Lutz in 1969 and together they welcomed their two children, Jason and Makayla. After parting ways, Teresa found love again with John Madden, whom she married on June 1, 1993, in Miami, Oklahoma. They resided in McPherson, Kansas, where she created a home filled with warmth and hospitality.
A gifted homemaker, Teresa's kitchen was always open, and her meals left a lasting impression on all who were fortunate enough to enjoy them. She had a sweet tooth and was famous for her chocolate chip cookies. She enjoyed teaching her granddaughters to cook and cherished countless family moments around her kitchen table, surrounded by love and life's ups and downs. If you were lucky enough to spend time around Teresa’s kitchen table, you were blessed.
Teresa was proud to be a member of the McPherson community, looking forward to the annual All Schools Day events and frequently feeding the geese at Lakeside Park. She brought her granddaughters home to live with her and John in February 2015, creating a loving and nurturing environment to raise them. In her leisure time, Teresa looked forward to game nights with her daughter and granddaughters, embracing her inner child and clowning around playing cards including Yahtzee, Gin Rummy and Rummikub. She enjoyed the music of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks, and even saw them in concert recently.
She loved holidays, especially Christmas, ensuring her home was always decorated abundantly with snowmen and her kitchen filled with the aroma of peppernuts. Teresa also adored her Kansas City Chiefs and was overjoyed when they won the Super Bowl (again!). She may have been a Sooner at heart but had a soft spot for the KSU Wildcats.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the McPherson Museum, 1111 East Kansas, McPherson, on Friday, April 5, at 11:00AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be sent in Teresa’s name to the McPherson Humane Society or to the McPherson Museum and Arts Foundation. Online condolences can be shared at https://www.wigginsfuneralhomes.com.
Teresa's legacy of love, kindness, and generosity will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved her and she will be greatly missed. In heaven, we know she has an even bigger kitchen table where she is serving all her loved ones, and we hope to sit at that table someday.