Madeline Morey

Madeline was born in Des Moines the oldest of 6 to Ora and Tom Wheatly on July 1, 1926.

She graduated from East High and went on to meet the love of her life Donald Morey. They married on June 6, 1948. They enjoyed their early married life riding a motorcycle everywhere until MaryKay came along and made that impossible. Soon after Allen made them a family of 4. They moved from Des Moines to the Quad-Cities, where Paul completed their family. While living in East Moline, Don and Madeline were founding members of Christ EUB Church, later Christ United Methodist. Madeline was a Girl Scout leader for MaryKay for 10 years where she made life-long friendships. It was also at this time Madeline decided that they should try family camping, so she went out and bought a tent without telling Don. They enjoyed many weekends in the tent at state parks and with the camping group from their church. Moving up to a pop-up camper allowed them even more opportunities to travel, including a 4-week trip to the west coast to visit family and 8 National Parks, including Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. They also camped at Lake Okoboji near Spencer IA where Madeline's grandfather, David lived. Vacations to Lake Ridge Resort in Crosslake, northern Minnesota, became an annual part of their lives for more than 50 years, even as empty-nesters, taking their grandsons there. Her 1st trip in 1950 on a motorcycle, and the last trip there was in 2017.

Don and Madeline moved across the Mississippi River to Bettendorf in 1965 until 1977 when they moved to New Jersey for a few years until retirement and they moved back to their hometown of Des Moines to be near to family, including her mother, brothers and sisters and the many nieces and nephews.

While in Des Moines they became active members of Staves United Methodist Church. But they continued to travel, primarily to see their children and grandsons Joe, Anthony and Jordan wherever they were, scattered across the country from Hawaii, Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma and Washington.

Somewhere in the late 60s, early 1970s, no one knows exactly when, Madeline became a diehard Chicago Bears fan. Everyone knew DO NOT CALL her on Sunday afternoon during football season. She went to several NFL games in Denver and Kansas City but never made it to Chicago. Madeline continued to cheer for the Bears through the good years and the not so good years, always wearing her Bear clothes on game day. She would always cheer for your team, her sister Deanna's Broncos, her son Allen's Dolphins or MaryKay and Paul's Chiefs as long as they weren't playing the Bears.

Madeline worked at many jobs over her lifetime, including at a newspaper, convenience store, and as a bus aide for special needs students, but she will be remembered as a mother, grandma, great-grandma first.

Family will greet friends from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Avenue in Des Moines. Funeral service will begin at 10:00 a.m. with burial to follow at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery, One NE 60th Avenue in Des Moines.

Online condolences may be made at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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