Madonna Kay Yates

She was born in Oklahoma City, OK to Grace Hazel Andrews Moore and Chester K. (Red) Moore. She attended the Nazarene Church as a child where she felt called to become a missionary to Africa. As a teenager Madonna joined Immanuel Baptist church. She graduated from Northeast High School with several awards.

She married Donald L. Yates in 1956, when he was a sophomore at Oklahoma University Medical School, and began a nursing career, graduating from Oklahoma University School of Nursing in 1959. Madonna did graduate work in Field Linguistics with the Wycliffe Bible Translators. She attended Midwest Bible College in Oklahoma City. She was organist at Immanual Baptist Church and taught piano lessons. Donald was an ordained Disciples of Christ minister, having studied theology before beginning medicine.

Madonna and Donald marched with the NAACP Youth Council in 1960 and 1961, attempting to integrate Oklahoma City restaurants and churches. Their first child, David Carlyle, was born in 1961. Their second child, Donita Ruth, was born in 1963 in St. Charles, IL

They studied at the Institute of Church Growth in Eugene, Oregon.. Donald completed a general surgery residency in Oklahoma and began ophthalmology, which took them to Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

They sailed on a Norwegian freighter from New York to Ethiopia to work with Christian Missionary Fellowship in 1964 and lived in Addis Ababa while Madonna studied Amharic and Gallyna (now called Oromo). Donald saw patients in their home and worked in the Addis Ababa hospitals. Madonna was organist for the Swedish Baptist Church. They planned a 5-year term, but permanent visas were not granted, and they had to leave after only two years.

After regrouping in Oklahoma, they packed for Kano, Nigeria, to work in the SIM Eye Hospital. Madonna scrubbed for eye surgery, worked in the pharmacy, and directed the choir at Evangelical Church of West Africa. On Nigerian Independence Day, October 1, 1966, massacres began at the airport and swept through the city of Kano. The soldiers, who were Muslim, began systematically killing Ibo tribes people, who were Christian. The Yates family returned to Oklahoma City. Their children were three and five years old.

Back in the USA, Madonna and family lived in Wheaton, IL, Waterville, ME, and settled in Terre Haute, IN. Donald practiced ophthalmology and Madonna became busy with church. She was President of the Church Federation. She was the first Director of Planned Parenthood of the Wabash Valley, conducting clinics in church basements. She belonged to the Evangelical Women’s Caucus, The Council for the Ordination of Women (Roman Catholic), various Peace groups and hosted a weekly “small group” meeting. Together they hosted Thanksgiving dinners, inviting foreign students from the three universities (ISU, Rose Hulman and St. Mary-of-the-Woods).

Vacations were short-term medical missions with Medical Group Missions in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, Mexico, Jamaica and Ecuador. Madonna wrote a book about the mission, “Million-Dollar Vacations,” in 1984, reprinted in 1995, totaling 10,000 copies. This book became the inspiration for the Santana Hospital in Santo Domingo which has served countless patients and elevated the standard of care in that region. The Ophthalmology Wing is named after Donald. Madonna began working full time for the Medical Group Mission in 1995.

She became a docent at the Sheldon Swope Art Gallery and studied at St. Mary-of-the –Woods College, earning a BS degree. She wrote a featured, weekly practical religion column, “High Ground,” in the Terre Haute Tribune-Star for nine years, winning the Chamber of Commerce Terre Award in Religion. Donald won the Terre Award in Medicine. They were on the International Board of Advisors for Habitat for Humanity International. They received awards from the Gideon Society, the NAACP, and the Girl Scouts of America chose Madonna as one of Outstanding 100 Women. She was a frequent speaker for clubs, schools and churches throughout the area.

Their children graduated from Terre Haute South Vigo High School, and Rose Hulman (David) and ISU, (Donita). The Yates always had surrogate children living in their home to attend school: Phebe Khalil, Phebe’s brother, Saba, and Shari Elliott. Madonna and Donald hosted missionaries from all over the world who would come for eye exams and glasses. Some stayed in their home for years. Ray and Helen Elliott, (Wycliffe, Guatemala) and Ura and Raymah Grover, (Presbyterian Missions, Zimbabwe).

After Donald’s death in 1991, Madonna worked with Medical Ministry International doing Public Relations and Resource Development. Besides writing newsletters and handbooks for the various countries, this involved two or three annual overseas missions (including China and Brazil). She annually hosted booths at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Christian Ophthalmological Society and others.

In 1994, Madonna moved to Columbus, IN, where she joined First Presbyterian Church, the Visitors Center, became a Love Chapel volunteer and worked in the hot meals program. She was on the first Board of Directors for Kids Commons and the development committee for Mill Race Center. She retired form MMI in 2002 and moved to Villas of Stonecrest in 2011.

In August 2025 she made one last trip to the Dominican Republic to receive a lifetime recognition for her leadership and contributions to the MMI mission. MMI named the brand-new donation warehouse in her honor.

Madonna was grateful to God for family and friends through the years, and happy wherever she lived. The move to Stonecrest Villas was her 37th move since her marriage at age 18. She loved to read and travel, and was a life-long learner, and enjoyed 15 annual treks to IU’s Mini University.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Chester K. “Red” Moore and Grace Hazel Andrews Moore, along with her half-brother, Robert Peyton McCarter and her half-sister, Martine Moore Gordon. Madonna’s husband, Donald Leslie Yates, MD (Ophthalmology) died December 22, 1991.

Surviving are her son, David Carlyle Yates, his wife, Jan Rudolph Yates, their children, Austin David Yates and Alan Jacob Yates (wife Megan Bonowitz and baby Levi Charles Yates). They live in the Cincinnati, OH area.

Madonna’s daughter, Donita Fox Nixon is married to Billy Nixon. They live in Oakland City, IN. Donita’s daughter Hannah Fox (Lowen Gruseck) is from her first marriage to Richard (Rick) Fox. They live in Portland, Oregon.

A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church, 512 Seventh Street, Columbus. IN, with Rev. Dr. Felipe Martinez officiating. A reception will follow, also at the church. Friends will be received prior to the celebration, from 1-2 p.m.

Please leave a fond memory of Madonna Kay at www.Myers-Reed.com.