Mary Katherine Greenwood

Mary Katherine Greenwood, 84, passed away Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at the Eureka Nursing Center.
She was born March 7, 1933 in Madison, Kansas the youngest child of Albert Eugene and Lydia Mae Mackey Greenwood. Mary attended Madison Grade School. In August of 1949 Mary was diagnosed with Polio and her life was forever changed. After a lengthy hospitalization and physical therapy, Mary would have to use a wheel chair for the remainder of her life. She chose Olpe High School to complete her prep school education for the fact that it was all on one level. She would go on to attend Emporia State Teachers College where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. She would later return to college and earn a degree in English. Mary would use this new degree to teach in Centralia, Kansas. Ten years later she  returned to Olpe where she taught and was sponsor for the school newspaper. In 1976 she returned to Madison after building a home and began attending the Madison United Methodist Church. Mary’s other memberships included the Order of The Eastern Star Rose Chapter 297,the Emporia State Alumni Association, Pi Omega Pi and the Sunflower Girls. Mary is survived by a sister, Melba Wyatt of Lebanon, Mo.; a brother, Billy Greenwood of Madison; nieces and nephews, Judy Strickland, Kathy Capps and Janice Whipple of Lebanon, Mo., Barbara Handley and Steve Brown of Eureka, Terry Brown of Emporia, Barry Brown of Amarillo, Texas, Robert Greenwood of Coffeyville, Lee Greenwood of Monument Colorado, Vicki Canaday of Topeka, Patti Clark of Madison, Nancy Kile of Madison, William Greenwood of Bolivar, Mo., Laura Bertelsen of Dodge City; many great and great -great nieces and nephews. Mary was preceded n death by her parents; a sister, Thelma Brown; a brother, Robert Greenwood; and an infant sister.  Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the Madison United Methodist Church. Private burial will be in Blakely Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Madison United Methodist Church and sent in care of the VanArsdale Funeral Home at P.O. Box #488, Madison, Kansas 66860. Condolences may be expressed at vanarsdalefs.com.