Madeline D Wade

Madeline D Wade, the eldest of the late Herbert William and Elnora Otis (Hughes) Penn, was born July 8, 1946 in Columbus, Ohio where she lived all her life and had been a long time Linden resident. She appreciated the neighbors who looked out for her. During her studies at Central High School, Madeline worked at Kroger Bakery and later at Lazarus at their Help Desk. After graduating from Central High School and attending her freshman year at The Ohio State University, Madeline worked at Grant Hospital. However, it wasn't until after the birth of Madeline's first child, would she embark on a life long career at Nationwide Insurance Company where Madeline was employed for 38 years, prior to her retirement, acquiring a vast knowledge of Nationwide's life products and making some life long friends. At Nationwide Insurance Company, Madeline began the ranks as a Technical Clerk / Jr. Analyst and worked her way up to Senior Acceptance Testing Analyst. Under Madeline's supervision, Madeline trained and developed staff members for their future career paths. Although, Madeline enjoyed growing and making a difference at Nationwide, her true joy was her family. Not only did she provide food for their body, she provided food for their soul by sharing her knowledge including the importance of having insurance and putting money into a savings account on a regular basis. Despite the fact Madeline provided for her family, she was a firm believer that each family member needed to know how to think and provide for him/herself and to plan for the future. Skills and hard work were a must. Handouts were not an option. To many she was hard on the outside. Yet to those who truly knew her and took the time to listen, they were blessed to see Madeline's softer side. During the course of Madeline's life here with us, there were many times when she was called to go through life's trials and tribulations. However, no matter the difficulties, Madeline stayed strong in her faith in God which throughout the course of her life, always gave her the strength to endure life's challenges and testify that if she could survive them, there was hope for you too. Aside from family and work, Madeline enjoyed staying informed by watching the news and surfing the Internet, cooking, having a good belly laugh, playing Scrabble, genealogy, and finding good deals during her shopping sprees. Leaving to cherish her memory, are her daughters Lannette (Ikenna) Okaome and Michelle Anthony, grandchildren Mario, Tachelle, Tai and Antwan, 7 greatgrandchildren, sister Lillian (Leon) Barwick, a niece, nephews and a host of other family members and friends. For those who wish to honor the memory of Madeline Wade, regularly check on older family members, neighbors and friends.