Madge Elma Story

MADGE ELMA STORY

  Madge Elma Story was born January 31, 1927 in Waverly, Kansas. Madge was the youngest of six children. At the age of 18 and freshly graduated from high school, along with her sister Franny and Franny’s 2-year-old daughter Judy Ann, they took the bus from Waverly, Kansas to Cortez, Colorado.

Mom would talk about the bus ride from Gallup to Cortez and how the bus would stop and pick up Native Americans and how they would sit cross-legged in the aisle until the bus would reach the individuals’ home, they would stand up, the bus would stop and let them off. This was quite intriguing for an 18-year-old from Kansas to experience.

  Upon their arrival from Kansas, Madge, Franny and Judy Ann were met by their brother Harold. The four of them lived in a small house by what was known as the “potato cellar” which was owned by CI Brown. A couple of weeks after their arrival in Cortez, the four of them moved up the west fork of the Dolores River to live on the CI Brown potato farm at Fish Creek. After the potato harvest, they came back to Cortez. At this time Harold, Franny and Judy Ann were living in a house that Harold and Franny had bought, Madge found a room to rent and went to work at the soda fountain at Wilson’s Drug

  While working at the soda fountain, she met the love of her life, Clarence Story. They were married in 1947, and were blessed with 5 children, Dennis, Steve, Greg, Patti, and Anne.

  The family moved from Cortez to Grants, New Mexico in 1959 where Clarence worked for the newspaper. While in Grants they made many lifelong friends. The Story house was always the gathering place for the neighborhood ladies and coffee in the mornings or for the neighborhood kids for after school snacks.

  The family moved back to Cortez in 1970. Along with being a housewife and the best Mom ever, Madge worked at The Bel Rau Lodge and at Town and Country Furnishings. She was a devoted member of the First United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School, sang in the choir and was a greeter to all who came to church on Sunday mornings.

  In 1987, after 40 years of marriage, Clarence passed away. After Clarence’s passing and at age 60, Madge obtained her driver’s license. She realized her dream of being able to drive down Montezuma Ave.

  At her 50th high school reunion Madge reconnected with a classmate Howard R. Beard. In 1995 Howard moved to Cortez and they were married. Howard passed away in 2015.

  Madge was preceded in death by her parents; her siblings; and her husbands, Clarence, and Howard. She is survived by her children, Dennis Story (Sue), Steve Story (Linda), Greg Story (Sandy), Patti Moss (Norman) and Anne Cornett; 6 grandchildren, Shelley Stewart (Sean), Casey Story, Shannon Cline, Josh Cornett (Ann), Preston Cornett (Kayla), and Joseph Cornett; as well as 6 great grandchildren, Devyn Ann Cornett, Brooks Story, Brady and Kally Cline, and Nolan and Haiden Cornett.

 Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 16th at the First United Methodist Church in Cortez.