Madsen, Raymond P. (1922 - 2013)

MADSEN, HEADLEY, PERESKI, PICHLER, KREIKEMEIER, GOSHORN, AHRENHOLTZ, WENDT, SMITH

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 10/24/2013 at 20:20:32

Name of deceased: Raymond Peter Madsen

Aged: 91 yrs, 2 mo, 5 days

Residence: Ft. Collins, CO (formerly of Harlan, IA)

Born: Aug. 2, 1922; near Avoca, IA

Died: Oct. 7, 2013, Ft. Collins, CO

Funeral services: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, St. Elizabeth Seton Church, Ft. Collins, CO; With military honors, inurnment at Roselawn Cemetery, Ft. Collins, CO.

Survived by: Wife of 65 years, Marjorie; daughters, Betty (spouse, Mike) Headley and Jane (spouse, Mitch) Pereski, of Houston, TX and Mary Pichler and Jean (spouse, Jim) Kreikemeier of Fort Collins, CO, sisters , Harriet Goshorn and Frances (spouse, Harold ) Ahrenholtz; grandchildren, Brian Headley, Christina Wendt, Allison and Nathan Kreikemeier; many nieces, nephews and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, Danish immigrants Peter and Margretha Madsen; a sister, a son-in-law, and a grandson

Education: attended school in Corley, IA; in 1941, Ray enrolled in an aircraft mechanics course in Omaha, NE.

Religious affiliation: no information provided

Military service: In Jan. 1944, Ray joined the US Army at Fort Leavenworth, KS. He traveled to Fort Sill, OK with the mule-pack field artillery for basic training. He spent time in Camp Carson, CO, Fort Riley, KS and Fort Knox, KY. Ray volunteered for the Tank Corp and went to Hawaii for training with flame-throwing tanks. He was headed to Japan to fight in World War II when the war ended, so his year there was spent in peace time, guarding warehouses. He was honorably discharged from the Army in April 1946 at the rank of Master Sargent. He remained active in the American Legion and was a Commander in Harlan, IA.

Marriage: Marjorie “Marge” Smith; Oct. 9, 1948; Portsmouth, IA

Employment: He worked many odd jobs growing up, shearing sheep, measuring land, and as a pin-setter at a local bowling alley until enrolling in aircraft mechanics courses; he then went to Seattle, WA, where he was a B-17 riveter for Boeing Aircraft. He also worked in Bremerton, WA in the Naval shipyard at Puget Sound repairing damaged battle ships. After his military service, he worked for a Ford Implement dealer in Harlan and sold welding equipment for an Allis Chalmers dealer. The majority of his career was spent working at Sieg Automotive for 38 years as an auto parts salesman. Ray and Marge and the girls moved to Nebraska City, NE in 1963. He retired from Sieg in 1986 at the age of 64. He started a part time job at the Otoe County Courthouse in their maintenance department, where he quickly became the “CEO of fun and laughter.” In 2000, Ray and Marge relocated to Fort Collins, CO to be closer to family.

Hobbies/Interests: He was very creative and made many things out of wood, such as his birdhouses, furniture, toy cars, crafts, etc. He was very active with the girls when they were in school, building sets for school plays, hosting parties for their friends, etc. Ray loved playing and listening to music, dancing a polka, making movies, writing poems, traveling, telling stories and entertaining anyone who was lucky enough to meet him. He recently achieved the lofty goal of building 800 license plate dustpans, all of which he gave away to people who helped him. Ray was a very kind, generous and gentle man, always ready to help someone.

Sources: goesfuneralcare.com; harlanonline.com;