Madeline Songer

Waynesville-Madeline Melton Songer, age 79, of Potleg Road, died on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at Peachtree Christian Hospice in Duluth, GA. Madeline Melton Songer was born in Shellman, Georgia and lived there for a short while before moving to Miami, Florida with her parents and sister. She graduated from Miami Senior High School where she would soon meet the love of her life, George Songer, Sr. She married George and they moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he went to Mortuary Science School, and she took care of him and their new baby, George Jr. After George Sr. finished school, they moved back to sunny Florida where they settled in Homestead, and she soon had a second child, Sara (Sally) and their family was complete. She was active in her children's lives by being a member of the PTA; first at Homestead Elementary and then at Avocado Elementary. She was also past president of the Homestead Women's Club twice, and made many contributions to the community through her affiliation with that club. She was well known for her chili at Homestead's rodeos, which became the standard for the concession stand the Women's club manned for one of their many projects to raise money for their club and community. She was also past officer of the Florida Federation of Women's Club, which was a very big honor for her. Once on a family vacation to Washington, DC she met the president of the General Federation of Women's Club and was invited to tour the headquarters and join her for tea, which was another highlight for Madeline. She spent many hours helping club members put pages together for one of their biggest projects, the Women's Club Cookbook, She then helped sell the cookbooks. She loved to play bridge and hosted many bridge parties for her friends. She enjoyed doing needlepoint and counted cross stitching, as well as sewing. She also enjoyed reading, which she passed on to her children. She helped George Sr. on numerous occasions at Branam's Funeral Home by answering the phones when things became hectic and always had a kind word for grieving families. For over 30 years, she was one of the unpaid employees at Branam's and one of George Sr.'s best workers. When he finally retired, the two of them went to Waynesville, North Carolina to live. They moved their church membership to Shady Grove United Methodist Church and made many new friends while there. She would entertain them by having candlelight suppers from time to time. Old friends were always dropping by to visit while they were on vacation and she enjoyed entertaining them. She loved to go shopping in Pigeon Forge and going to Dollywood. She and George Sr. enjoyed the local theatre and became patrons of the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House where for many years they had season tickets to all the shows. Madeline's life entwined with George's and when he passed away last year, she grieved deeply for him. She went to join him on Wednesday, July 19, 2006. Her children, son George Jr. and his wife, Betty, and her daughter, Sara and her husband, Jeff Rawlins were by her side as she passed on. She is survived also by her granddaughter, Heather Rawlins-Torii and her husband, Tadashi Torii; their children, Madeline's great grandchildren, Kenzo and Mayuko Madeline Torii; her grandsons, Matthew Songer and Kelly Rawlins; her sister Kitty Coleman; her great aunt May Griffin; her brother and sister in laws Wendell and Phyllis Colby; several nieces and nephews and their children; and numerous cousins and very close family friends and neighbors. Her final resting place will be by her husband's side at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, July 24, 2006 in the Waynesville Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with Reverend J. Linwood Kennedy officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m. prior to the services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to one's favorite charity.

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