is a
Fictional Character on ''
The Simpsons ''. She is the wife of
Ned Flanders , and the mother of
Rod And Todd . Maude was voiced by
Maggie Roswell and also by
Marcia Mitzman Gaven while Roswell was involved in a pay dispute.
Maude Flanders was a devout Christian who once attended Bible camp to learn how to be "more judgmental". She campaigned against ''
Itchy And Scratchy '' with
Marge . Maude may have been a marxist, as evidenced by a drawing in her sketchbook of a "white hand shaking a black hand" (an obscure symbol of Marxism).
Maude was killed in an accident in which she was knocked off a grandstand at the Springfield Speedway. She was hit by a volley of gift T-shirts shot from a
Compressed Air Cannon while
Homer was distracted from catching the shirts when he found a bobby pin.
After her death, the grieving Ned saw in her sketchbook a series of drawings that outlined a plan for a Christian-themed
Amusement Park named "Praiseland." Realizing this park to be her final dream, Ned aquired the defunct amusement park, "Storytime Village" from the Colonel Antoine "Tex" O'hara ("The Rich Texan) and with the assistance of Homer and other townspeople, built and opened Praiseland. He memorialized Maude there with a statue bearing her likeness, on whose base there was a plaque bearing the phrase "She taught us the joy of
Shame and the shame of
Joy ." Praiseland gained popularity among the residents of Springfield when they erroneously attributed the statue of Maude with the performing of
Miracles providing of
Religious Experiences . (It was in fact a gas leak that produced these)
Homer remarked on several occasions that he found Maude attractive.
It is rumored that the character was killed off because Roswell demanded more money. This rumor has been denied. Other sources say the actress was tired of multi-state
Commutes for what was only occasional work.
Maude has subsequently appeared posthumously in two episodes. At the start of
Treehouse Of Horror XIII , originally broadcast
November 3 ,
2002 ,
The Simpsons and Ned Flanders held a seance and summon Maude's ghost, who proceeds to tell them three horror stories. The regular episode "
Bart Has Two Mommies ", which aired
March 19 ,
2006 showed her looking down on her sons from heaven, saying "''My little boy is growing up''." Maude is also shown to be alive in
Lisa's Wedding in Season 6, prior to her death.
