Madilyn Louise Coen Crane

Madilyn Louise Coen Crane passed away quietly on Sunday, December 8th at her home in Austin, Texas, after a long and courageous battle with colon cancer. She was born in Brookfield, Missouri, and grew up in nearby Marceline, the boyhood home of Walt Disney. She met Disney several times and remembered her hometown with fondness. Madilyn married her husband Roderick (Rod) Crane in Richardson, Texas and they recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary. In 1981, they welcomed the birth of their only child Michael (Mike.) In 1998, they moved to Austin.

Madilyn’s love of gardening was exemplified in their beautiful back yard where she spent many long days planting and pruning hundreds of plants. Genealogy was her passion. She served as executive Vice-President of the Dallas Genealogical Society and editor of the Dallas Quarterly. From 1995 until 2005, she was the office manager for the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and received the President’s Citation for her work. During that time, hundreds of people often asked her for help and guidance on their own family research and she freely gave whatever advice she could. Her knowledge and research skills were respected by many professionals in the field of history and genealogy. Madilyn and her husband Rod designed and implemented a highly sophisticated website for FGS.

Madilyn’s skills in writing and editing led to published articles and books. In 1989, she published a book on her family entitled "Our Family History, the Mayes and Kellogg Families of Shelby County, Missouri." In 1999, she co-authored a book called "Numbering Your Genealogy: Basic Systems, Complex Families, and International Kin."

Madilyn and her husband enjoyed many trips through the years that included Williamsburg, Maine, Nova Scotia, Italy, and several trips to the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. They also enjoyed hiking on the many Texas countryside paths with their dogs.

As many of her friends and associates are all over the country, there will not be a memorial service in Austin. Friends are invited to visit the Cook-Walden website www.cookwaldenchapelofthehills.com and leave comments, stories, and memories that will ultimately be available in book form.

She is survived by her husband Rod and son Mike.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (www.AustinFoodBank.org).

Special thanks to Hospice Austin for their compassionate and professional care in this time of need.