My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Clarence Lewis Madsen
Clarence Lewis Madsen (b. September 14, 1885, d. June 03, 1985)
 | Clarence Madsen Family 1945 |
Clarence Lewis Madsen (son of Christ Lars (C. L.) Madsen and Patrina Vangsgaard) was born September 14, 1885 in Arlington, South Dakota, and died June 03, 1985 in Arlington, South Dakota.He married Isabelle Caroline Thorsness on February 19, 1914, daughter of Hans Joseph Thorsness and Inger Esse Peterson.
Notes for Clarence Lewis Madsen:Clarence Madsen
Clarence L. Madsen, 99, lifetime resident of the Arlington community, died June 3 in an Arlington nursing home.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Trinity Lutheran Church.The Rev, Dwane Shay and the Rev. Michael Stadie will officiate. Burial will be in the Arlington Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Barry Johnson and James, David, Daniel, Robert and Gary Madsen. The soloist will be Delores Jensen and the organist will be Bob Kallesen.
Visitation will be in the Johnson Henry Funeral Home at Arlington Wednesday afternoon and evening and in the church Thursday prior to the services.
Mr. Madsen was born September 14, 1885, at Arlington to Mr. and Mrs. Chris Madsen. He attended the rural Bangor school. He married Isabelle Thorsness Feb. 19, 1914 at Sinai. The couple farmed near Arlington until their retirement and move to Arlington in 1945.
Mr. Madsen served on the church council and on his local township and school boards. Mrs. Madsen died in 1970.
He is survived by three sons, Clare, Dale and Donald, all of Arlington; two daughters, Mrs. Herman (Lila) Thompson of Sinai and Ruth Madsen of Brookings; two sisters, Minnie Larson of the Arlington Care Center and Ebba Madsen of Eugene, Ore; 14 grandchildren; and 24 great grandchildren. (obituary, Watertown Public Opinion, June 4, 1985)
Clarence Madsen Life Sketch
Clarence Lewis Madsen was born to C.L. and Patrina Vangsgaard Madsen in Arlington September 14, 1885. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. (from Arlington Sun obit)
Tribute to an American Pioneer
By Brad Johnson
A pioneer died Monday.
He wasn’t a famous man, but he made his contribution to the world.
His death went largely unnoticed, except by those near and dear to him.
Flags weren’t lowered to half staff in his honor, although he was a staunch defender of this country’s ideals.
He was three months short of being 100 years old.
He’d seen his share of adversity, and his share of joy.
He spent hislife working the earth on the Midwestern plains. It wasn’t easy. The bitter cold blizzards threatened livestock. The long, hot and dry summers burnt crops, which were the sole means of support.
He farmed in the days when life wasn’t easy. There were no air conditioned tractors with stereos. For awhile there was no running water.
He made it by using a lot of hard work and sweat.
He watched as the droughts in the 1930s dried up his crops, and money became scarce. But he persevered.
Along with his wife and five children, three boys and two girls, he represented what America truly stands for in a complicated world—guts and determination.
He watched as his sons went off to fight in World War II, never knowing whether he would see them again.But he watched them leave with pride.
They all returned to take up the reigns of keeping America abundant with food.Each son established his family, as did the daughters.
In his retirement years (in his 60s and 70s) he helped the sons around the farm and offered advice.
He was a man of few words, but whenhe spoke, he offered words of wisdom.He watched America move from the world of horses to the world of cars.
Then he watched man learn how to fly, and he eventually saw what most predicted could never happen—landing on the moon.
He watched the trains come and go, often telling stories of when they were anxiously awaited. He recalled the day when they tore up the railroad tracks, as the locomotives were no longer economical.
He watched his family grow over time with 15 grandchildren and countless great grandchildren.
He lived alone for a long time following the death of his wife, and he always remained proudly independent.
He’d get sick, end up in the hospital, and in his last few years, he always hoped he would die.He had made his contribution.
But he always seemed to pull through,much to his chagrin.
He spent his last few years living in an old folks’ home.He didn’t particularly care for it, but he realized there weren’t many options.
He’d still go to visit his sons on their farms, which were being worked mostly by their sons.He’d cherish the opportunity to sit a newly born great-grandchild on his knee.
Eventually, he started to use a wheel chair, although he didn’t need it. He was just getting lazy. At 99, no one could begrudge him that convenience.
Monday morning he took his last breath. Yesterday, he was put to rest in an unassuming cemetery on the plains of South Dakota.
To his family, he left a strong sense of independence and determination. He taught them to defend their rights, and those of the country. And above all he taught them to be loving people.
His name was Clarence Madsen.
He was my great-grandfather.
More About Clarence Lewis Madsen:
Date born 2: 10 miles north of Arlington, South Dakota.
Burial: June 06, 1985, Arlington City Cemetery.
Education: Served on the School Board.
Nationality: Of Danish descent.
Occupation: Farmer, thresher.
Religion: Trinity Lutheran Church, Arlington, SD; served on the Church Council.
Retirement: 1945, Moved to Arlington; son Clare moved to farm.
More About Clarence Lewis Madsen and Isabelle Caroline Thorsness:
Marriage: February 19, 1914
Children of Clarence Lewis Madsen and Isabelle Caroline Thorsness are:
- Lila Irene Madsen, b. June 30, 1917, Arlington, South Dakota, d. February 23, 2002, Sioux Falls SD.