Madeline Dellwo passed away peacefully on February 12, 2017 at the age of 98.  She was born on November 29, 1918 to Rose (McEneaney) and James Maguire in Spokane and grew up on the family farm with her eight siblings on White Bluff Prairie west of Spokane.  Madeline attended Great Northern Elementary School and Marycliff High School, graduating in 1937.  She received her teaching certificate from Holy Names College, where she was the Senior Class President, in 1940.  Always very active in sports, Madeline organized her high school and college basketball and volleyball teams, and was captain of her teams for most of those years.  She taught grade school at Great Northern for 2 years, from 1940 to 1942, during which time she married Robert Dellwo at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral on June 7, 1941. Madeline and Robert had eight children, but Madeline continued to be active in sports, playing golf until she was in her 80’s for the Spokane Area Women’s Golf Association (SAWGA), primarily with the Indian Canyon and Esmeralda 18 Hole Ladies Golf Clubs.  She enjoyed dancing with the Western Dance Association and the Chasse Dance Club for nearly 50 years.  Madeline walked Bloomsday at age 92, winning the gold medal for her age group.  Giving back to the community was very important to Madeline.  She volunteered for many years at the Spokane VA Medical Center and at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center until she was 95 years old.  It was obvious, though, that Madeline’s priority was raising her family, sewing clothes and cooking meals, toting everybody to school events, athletic competitions, and music recitals. Madeline was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her 8 siblings.  She is survived by her eight children and their spouses, Rosemary (Dick) Toft, Kathy, Dennis (Lynnette), Jerry, Joanie (Steve) Davis, Madeline (Jim) Houghton, Bob, and Joe (Erica), and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  A funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, March 11 at Sacred Heart Catholic Parish at 11:00 am, followed immediately by a reception at Rockwood Lane.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Madeline’s name can be made to Catholic Charities or to The Sisters of the Holy Names.  The family would like to thank the staff at Moran Vista and Horizon Hospice for the loving care they provided for our mother.

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