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Sharing our Links to the Past |
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Mads Christian Madsen Born: 29 Dec 1860, Haustrup, Oster Nykirke, Vonge, Denmark Father: Niels Madsen #G14 Married: (1) abt 1882, Kjarstena (Christina) M. THOMSON (died in 1915) and (2) on June 24, 1916 to Laura MADSON. Mads and Kjarstena had eleven children. Kjarstena Thomson Born: abt 1865. Father: Children: (Dates and order not listed at this time) Residency at time of death of Mads Madsen. All probably born in Hutchinson, Minnesota. 1. (F) Alta MADSEN, of Los Angeles, California, md Mr. BRIGHAM Laura Madson (Birth, death and parentage unknown) The obituary reports the following as step-children of Mads. They were children from the first marriage of Laura who was a widow: Males: Manney Madson, Winnepeg, Canada, and Ralph D. Madson, Minneapolis; Females Mrs. Herbert P. Jacobson (Marie), Minneapolis, and Mrs. Dean Malsed (Lorraine), also of Minneapolis. Biography. There are two biographies, both written by Well S. Clay of The Hutchinson Leader. The first is a feature story. The second is an obituary. 1. From The Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, Minnesota, Friday, May 3, 1946, by Well S. Clay. [The story is preceded by a poem reproduced after the obituary.] Back in the early [18]80's a lad in Denmark, near Vigle, was engaged in the manufacture of shoes (wooden) and as he sat at his task one day he became so wrapped up in his thoughts about other matters that he forgot to watch his work properly and the result was that he gouged a little too hard while whittling away the wood from the inside of the shoe and pushed the cutting tool right on through the toe of the shoe; thus ruining it. It also ruined him from further prospects as a maker of wooden shoes but he didn't wait for matters to take their usual course. He stood up from his bench and made the statement: "I'm going to America." Next the people here in Hutchinson began to notice a husky young man who had recently shown up from the old country. He was a hustler and went right to work helping around a brick yard, laying brick, taking contracts, making himself felt in church and civic circles, preaching prohibition, figuring out new ways to utilize raw materials available for improvement of our farms, eventually starting a brick yard, tile factory, silo slab fabrication works, cement block moulder, a pottery kiln and a lot of other activities which would be too numerous to enumerate in my short column. Anyhow, this man, Mads C. Madsen, as he has been known here for more than sixty years, is not dead yet; or so he says, but has but lately departed from our midst to take up his residence in Minneapolis; for the reason, according to his announcement, that it offers him a wider field for the exercise of his talents. Mr. Madsen has been inflicted with an incurable ailment for many years. This ailment which has nowise dimmed his brain powers has slowed him up some in his bodily activities. In fact, this disease is not uncommon if one lives long enough for it visits many and is called "growing old." [He was 85 years old at the time of this writing.] So M.C. Madsen and his wife have gone to live in Minneapolis with a married daughter of Mrs. Madsen (Marie). Mr. Madsen was married twice; his first wife Kjarstena Thomson, died in 1915. He was married again in 1916 to Laura Fredericka (Therkilson) Madson, who was the widowed mother of four children. Mads never had much of a family; unless you count seven boys and three girls, all of whom, with the exception of two who have passed on, being successful, solid citizens in the business world today in the case of the boys. The other surviving girl is married and lives in California. Mads Madsen never heard of Horatio Alger in his younger days nor in probability read his books. If he had he would have immediately written him and given him a few additional words of advice as to how best to succeed in order to rise in the world by the aid of hard work and right principles. As I said awhile back they are not dead and this is not an obituary; just a few words of tribute to a couple of folks who by force of circumstances have been compelled to dwell elsewhere for a time. Both Mr. and Mrs. Madsen will be greatly missed from this community where both have taken such an active and helpful part in the building of the town. I might add in passing that Mads built the first brick building in town and all the rest up to 1915. That is he was the contractor, most always furnishing his home bricks, and doing a lot of the actual work himself. He also built a lot of structures in neighboring towns and you will pass in your every day life the monuments representing his activities while here in the course of his business life. He leaves a son here Matt, Jr., to carry on the work up on the hill and some day soon I will go up there and give you a little write-up of one of Hutchinson's most valuable and useful lines of business; which maybe all started long ago in the country across the sea when a lad spoiled a wooden shoe. Good luck and a knowledge of the appreciation of this community goes with you. The Madsens departed for Minneapolis Saturday last. 2. Obituary from The Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, Minnesota, Number 44, 1947, by Well S. Clay. (On page one.) MADS C. MADSEN, SERVICES ARE HELD Always on receiving news of the death of a beloved friend of many years we are confronted with a distinct feeling of personal loss. This sense of loss is now being felt by the citizens of Hutchinson who have known Mads C. Madsen during the sixty-five years he has been a citizen of this town and one of the outstanding leaders in the community. He was a leader in church, business, political and industrial circles and leaves behind at his departure hosts of friends and a large family of children and grandchildren, besides his devoted wife. Mads C. Madsen was one of the many foreign born young folks who came to America from Denmark at the very beginning of the tide of rugged individualists who forsook the old communities with their limited opportunities for advancement to take advantage of the new freedoms of America. He did not come here with any false ideas of attaining great returns without labor. He was glad that this was so, for it gave his energies an outlet which was necessry both for his own advancement and for the benefit of his adopted land. He always struggled to better existing conditions in industry as well as in the welfare of his brother citizens. His had been an existence in his birthplace which was very close to the soil and the common people and in America he clung to that plane. For many years he manufactured bricks, then added a side line of pottery by establishing a kiln for the manufacture of the common varieties then in general use. Later he extended his activities to the manufacture of tile and silo slabs which was carried on under the title of the Rockite Silo Co. All through the early part of his business career in Hutchinson he engaged in contracting and building sidewalks later when cement was adopted for materials for their manufacture. He built many of our more pretentious brick buildings here and extended his activites to many neighboring towns in both lines. He was a master brick layer himself and as his sons grew he saw to it that they were instructed in that useful trade so they would always have something to fall back on in case other activities which they might adopt should fail. He had been living the last months with his wife at the home of her daughter, Mrs. H. P. Jacobsen of Minneapolis and his death occurred on October 25. He was 86 years old. He was first married to Christina M. Thomson a few years later after he had come to America from his birthplace at Vonge, Denmark. Her death occurred in 1915. To them were born seven sons, all surviving, and four daughters, two of whom precede him in death, Nettie in 1912 and Alma (Mrs. Joe Zavoral) in 1944. The surviving daughters are Mrs. Alta Brigham, Los Angeles, and Mrs. Margaret Culverwell of North Hollywood, California. Their sons are Viggo Jay, of Bath, New York; Walter T., of Mound, Minn., Leon V. of St. Paul, Matthew C., of Hutchinson, George W., Orville E. and Wilbur D., of Minneapolis. He also left twenty-one grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. One sister, Mrs. Stena Ellengson, Auburn, Washington; two brothers, Chris of Los Angeles and Einar of Minot, North Dakota. On June 24th, 1916, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Laura Madson, of Hutchinson, who survives him. Also surviving are two step-sons, Manney Madson, Winnepeg, Canada, and Ralph D. Madson, Minneapolis; and two step-daughters, Mrs. Herbert P. Jacobson (Marie), Minneapolis, and Mrs. Dean Malsed (Lorraine), also of Minneapolis. The funeral was held in Hutchinson from the Franklin Street Baptist church, of which Mr. Madsen had been a member for sixty-three years. Rev. Elwood Anderson, assisted by Rev. Wallace A. Olson of Powderhorn Baptist Church, Minneapolis, who delivered the funeral sermon, officiated at the final rites. Music during the service was furnished by Paul Hanson, pianist, who also accompanied Mrs. Harry Krogh, Minneapolis, soloist and Mrs. Krogh and Mrs. Wallace Olson, Minneapolis, who sang a duet. Pallbearers were Paul Fratzke, Paul Loessin, W. S. Clay, John A. Jorgenson, Melvin Laugeson, and Arthur Kreie. The poems: May 3, 1946: Does the credit all belong to the dreamer Shall some of it go to the digger Shall some of it go to the artist From the top of the spire to the basement All called for the best of the talent The poem accompanying the obituary: A good man gone; But, is he gone? He helped to build this town of ours That there is a body spiritual He produced the bricks and mortar But he looked beyond the structures He was all for building up Home | Biographical
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