Promoted to Glory: Major William (Bill) Madison

Major Bill Madison was born on June 25, 1942 in Concordia, Missouri, and was Promoted To Glory on Nov. 23, 2021. He is survived by his wife (Mary Ann), son (William Paul), and grandson (William Lucas) Madison.

Bill's parents, Paul and Bernice Madison, operated a hatchery outside the city of Concordia. However, when his mother passed away, Bill's father moved them into town and became the proprietor of Madison Grocery. They moved into a house with his grandmother who helped to raise him. Bill's great love of baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals began with Little League and continued all through his life.

After graduating high school, Bill studied at Central Missouri State University, with a desire to teach music. The passing of his father during his second year forced him to leave school and run the family store. Bill soon sold the store and began to travel throughout the country. Through misfortune or God's timing, he ended up in Greenville, South Carolina where he met The Salvation Army.

He found a relationship with the Lord there, and soon felt a call to full-time service as a Salvation Army officer. From there, he entered the College For Officer Training in 1971 as a member of the ‘Blood And Fire’ session of cadets.

While in his second year as a Cadet, he met Lt. Mary Ann Lewis, and they became engaged that same year. He was commissioned in 1973, and appointed to the Dallas Adult Rehabilitation Center. He and Lt. Lewis were married Dec. 29, 1973 in Burlington, North Carolina.

All of their appointments were within the ARC Command. They include Miami (Fla.) as Trainees, San Antonio, Houston, St. Petersburg (Fla.), Dallas, Hampton Roads (Va.), Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and Suncoast ARC, where they retired in 2010. In post-retirement, they served six months at the Memphis ARC and six months at the Ft. Worth ARC. Major Madison also served as a consultant for thrift stores for the Florida Division.

He will be missed deeply by his family and many friends.