Hoist a Glass for Red Today-- Part 2: Quite a Life for Mr. Madsen

"After graduating from Audubon High School, he moved to Chicago.  Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Army, which put him in the Signal Corps.  During training, he met Betty Kaplan, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and married her in Stuart, Fla., before he was shipped to the Pacific.

"When the Army finally let Red go in 1946, he and Betty settled in Chicago.  He returned to Audubon and Westphalia, Iowa, working as a custom butcher.  He later worked the railroad, most of the time for for the Chicago & North Western,  He was married three times with two of his spouses passing away.

"Red Madsen loved his wives, his kids, everybody else's kids, his family, dogs, fishing, whittling, doodling, reading (especially Mark Twain), Cord automobiles, hoisting a few with friends and telling stories.

"It pleased him that mischief might break out at any time, but it distressed him if anyone got hurt by it, unless maybe it was some powerful S.O.B. who deserved it.

"Contributions may be made as follows:  Hoist one in Red's memory and overtip the waitress -- she needs it more than you.  Give a bum a dollar, maybe five, and for once don't worry about what he;ll do with it.  Learn something new.  Make a fool of yourself so a child will laugh.  Help get food to the hungry and don't worry about whether they deserve it.  Don't worry about being safe."

A Fitting Obituary.  Here's to You, Red.  --GreGen