Maynard Charles Madsen

Maynard Charles Madsen, the son of Hans and Sophie (Lauritsen) Madsen was born January 18, 1932, in Cameron Township, Audubon County, Iowa and died May 13, 2019, at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa at the age of 87 years, 3 months, and 26 days.
Maynard was baptized and confirmed at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. He attended rural school in Melville Township then graduated with the Audubon High School Class of 1950. Following graduation he helped his parents on the farm and helped several neighboring farmers. In October of 1952 he was inducted into the United States Army. During his tour of duty he served with the 25th Infantry Division, 69th Field Artillery, as a telephone wireman. Maynard was stationed in Korea during the Korean War and was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in July 1953. He was honorably discharged in October of 1954 and returned to Audubon where he started farming.
On February 12, 1956, he was united in marriage to Rose Irene Sorensen at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. They were blessed with four children, Michael, Mark, Julie and Jill. The couple farmed in Melville Township where they raised field crops and fed cattle and hogs. In 1985 the couple finished farming and Maynard was employed by Audubon County Secondary Roads. He worked full time for many years and later worked on a part time basis mowing roadsides for the County in the summer months. He was also a part time truck driver for Sunberg Farms. Maynard enjoyed farming and always had an interested in airplanes. He took flight lessons and completed his solo flight in 1982.
Maynard was an active member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. He was a lifetime member of the VFW and a member of the American Legion. He very much enjoyed being aboard the Honor Flight that went to Washington D.C. in 2013. He enjoyed country music with Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard being his favorites, along with tuning the TV into Hee Haw and All in the Family.
Maynard was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers and sisters-in-law, Emmert Madsen, Einar (Dorothy) Madsen, Alton (Becky and Barb) Madsen, Harold (Betty) Madsen, sister Leona and husband Glen Fulton, nephews Kenneth Madsen, Harold Jr. Madsen, and Tim Lauritsen, his niece Mary Jane Spangler, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Emmert and Edward (Elaine) Lauritsen and Harold (Karen) Sorensen and family.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Rose Madsen, of Audubon, IA: his children Michael (Eileen) Madsen of Garner, IA, Mark (Cheryl) Madsen of Hull, IA, Julie (Gary) Vais of Exira, IA and Jill (Brent) Madsen of Elk Horn, IA, Grandchildren Bethany (Eric) Hythecker of Clear Lake, IA, Steven (Abby) Madsen of Garner, IA, Katie (Jeremy) Nicholson of Clear Lake, IA, Anthony (Abby) Madsen and Ashley Madsen all of Hull, IA, Matthew (Sara) Vais of Johnston, IA, Mindi (Shawn) Macha of Atlantic, IA, Colby Madsen of Lewisville, TX and Kelsi Madsen and fiancé Nick Soe of West Des Moines, IA; his 15 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother H. Leo (Janice) Madsen of Audubon, IA, brothers-in-law and sister-in-law George (Joan) Sorensen of Audubon, IA, and Irvin Eldridge, Clinton, IN; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.