Madonna L. (Crawford) Gardner

On Tuesday, May 5, Madonna L. Gardner, loving wife of Fred Gardner, passed away at Ogeechee Area Hospice in Statesboro following a long illness. Mrs. Gardner, 77, was born in Savannah, Georgia on October 29, 1942.

Madonna had a passion for all people.  She was well known for her kind words, compassionate spirit and heart of gold, always willing to do anything to help family, friends, neighbors and even strangers.  Her love for people flowed over into the love she had for her animals. Her friends joked that they wanted to be “Ms. Madonna’s” dog. She also enjoyed her flowers and traveling to the mountains. Emit Grove Baptist church became her church home seven years ago and the members of the church and especially the members of her Sunday School Class, Kingdom Seekers, completed her earthly family.

Mrs. Gardner is preceded in death by her mother, Jacqueline Johnson and her father, John Robert Crawford, Jr.

She is survived and will be greatly missed by her husband of 29 years, Fred Gardner, a son, Dennis Michael Batchelor, Jr (Amanda) of Loganville and a daughter, Tracy McQuaid of Pooler. She also leaves behind two sisters: Lisa Jones (Jerry) and Rosalind Dufrane (Ray), two brothers: Richard Crawford Sr (Brenda) and John Robert Crawford, III. and two grandsons: Daniel McQuaid and Josiah Batchelor.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a graveside funeral service and burial will be held at Emit Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Friday, May 8.

The family would be honored by memorial contributions to Ogeechee Area Hospice https://oahospice.org/.