Raymond Peter Madsen

Raymond Peter Madsen of Fort Collins, CO passed peacefully on Monday, October 7, 2013 at the age of 91. He was born to Danish immigrants, Peter and Margretha Madsen near Avoca, IA on August 2, 1922. Ray was raised on a farm and attended school in Corley, Iowa. He worked many odd jobs growing up, shearing sheep, measuring land, and as a pin-setter at a local bowling alley.
In 1941, Ray enrolled in an aircraft mechanics course in Omaha, NE. After graduating he went to Seattle, WA, where he was a B-17 riveter for Boeing Aircraft. He also worked in Bremerton, WA in the Navy yard at Puget Sound repairing wounded battle ships.
On January 4, 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. His tank was named "Hot Stuff". 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.
Upon returning home from the service, he met and married Marjorie "Marge" Smith on October 9th, 1948 in Portsmouth, IA. To their union four daughters were born: Betty (Mike) Headley and Jane (Mitch) Pereski, of Houston, TX and Mary Pichler and Jean (Jim) Kreikemeier of Fort Collins, CO.
Ray 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. He loved his job and all of his customers, who looked forward to weekly visits from "Quart Low", Ray's CB handle.
Ray and Marge and the girls moved to Nebraska City, NE in 1963. He was very active with the girls in school, building sets for school plays, hosting parties for their friends, etc. It was in Nebraska City that he was affectionately named the "Chicken Man" because of a chicken song he played at the radio station.
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". He loved his job and all of coworkers.
In 2000, Ray and Marge relocated to Fort Collins, CO to be closer to family.
Ray was a very kind, generous and gentle man, always ready to help someone. He enjoyed "giving" to people, and making them smile.
He loved playing and listening to music, dancing a polka, making movies, writing poems, travelling, telling stories and entertaining anyone who was lucky enough to meet him.
Ray thoroughly enjoyed a trip to Washington DC in May of 2011 thanks to the Northern Colorado Honor Flight. He said it was a "trip of a lifetime!"
He was very creative and made many things out of wood, such as his birdhouses, furniture, toy cars, crafts, etc. He recently achieved the lofty goal of building 800 license plate dustpans, all of which he gave away to people who helped him.
Ray loved his family and many friends. He loved having fun and spreading happiness. In an interview with a Hospice volunteer recently, when asked what he thought heaven would be like, he responded "It will be fun!" No doubt about that, now that he is there!
He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, a son-in-law and a grandson.
Left to cherish his memory and carry on his legacy are Marjorie, his wife of 65 years, four daughters and their husbands, two sisters - Harriet Goshorn and Frances (Harold ) Ahrenholtz, grandchildren, Brian Headley, Christina Wendt, Allison and Nathan Kreikemeier, and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Ray's family wishes to thank all of the wonderful people at Pathways Hospice and The Residence at Oakridge, who provided loving care and support to him and his family these last few months.
Services will be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church on Saturday, October 12 at 9:30 a.m. with inurnment at Roselawn Cemetery.
The family suggests memorials to Northern Colorado Honor Flight or Pathways Hospice of Northern Colorado. To donate to the Northern Colorado Honor Flight, please make checks payable to the "Community Foundation" and mail them to 2425 35th Avenue, Greeley, CO with a notation "in memory of Ray Madsen". For memorials to Pathways Hospice, go to www.pathways-care.org .