Obit – Mrs. Madge McKinney Lankford
Mrs. Madge McKinney Lankford, a longtime resident of the Pavilion in South Carthage, passed away on January 4, 2026 at the home of her daughter, Deanna, in Nashville at the age of 76. She had a lengthy battle with mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
A memorial service to celebrate her life was remembered on Saturday afternoon January 10th at the Holiday Inn Express in Lebanon.
She was the daughter of the late Albert Millard “Bud” McKinney who died at the age of 84 on January 2, 2006 and Mavis Aline Bowman McKinney who died at the age of 76 on March 24, 1985 and was born Madge Darnell McKinney in Carthage on July 30, 1949 and was reared in the Popes Hill Community.
Preceding her in death in addition to her parents were sisters, Aline Hiett, Mildred Ann McKinney Brown, and Jean McKinney Culbreath and brothers, David Wayne McKinney and Troy Hiett.
Mrs. Lankford was a member of the 1967 graduating class at Smith County High School where she majored in Mathematics and Foreign Languages. It was stated of her in the ’67 Owl that “A good woman is a wondrous creature”.
There she met the love of her life, Difficult Community native, Roger Key Lankford and they were united in marriage in 1967 and they began a new and successful business, Lankford Heating and Air in Lebanon and Carthage. He preceded her in death at the age of 62 on April 4, 2010.
She was an independent and strong-willed woman, refusing to bow to terminal cancer for much longer than her team at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center expected. The family is deeply grateful to everyone at VICC, Alive Hospice, and Suncrest Home Health. Among the things she loved deeply and unconditionally: Roger and their only child, Deanna, as well as their extended family; every dog, cat and other animal she saw; Elvis; Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream; the beach; bingo; the NBA; watching her nephews drag-race; Harley-Davidson motorcycles; her friends at The Pavilion; pizza with black olives and extra cheese; and jigsaw puzzles.
Surviving is her daughter, Deanna Lankford and wife Laurie Holloway of Nashville, who cared for her at their home through her illness; sister-in-law, Bonnie McKinney of Louisville, Kentucky, and many special nieces, nephews, and cousins and many lasting friendships she created while residing at the Pavilion in Carthage. A special family, Ann and Darlene Jacobs-Anderson, and Bruce and Linda Boeko will forever be in our hearts for their loving help as we walked this difficult path.
The family requests memorials to the Smith County Humane Society @ P.O. Box 74 Carthage, TN 37030 0r e-mail: [email protected]
This notice provided as a courtesy to Deanna & Laurie.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
