Joan Madsen

Joan Madsen, age 86, of Schaller, Iowa died on Monday, February 22, 2021 at the Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City, Iowa. Public visitation for Joan will be Saturday, February 27, 2021, from 2-4:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Schaller. A private family funeral will follow at the funeral home. To watch the recording of Joan's service, please visit her tribute wall. Burial will be at a later date in the Schaller Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family has established the Joan Madsen Memorial Fund. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Schaller is in charge of the arrangements. Joan Jane Madsen, the daughter of William B. and Anna O. (Madsen) Archer, was born on May 31, 1934, in rural Murray, IA. Growing up Joan attended several grade schools while her family lived in Iowa, Colorado, Washington State and then moved back to Iowa in 1945 where she graduated from Varina High School in 1952. After graduation she worked as a telephone operator at Northwestern Bell in Storm Lake, IA, until 1954. She had that operator way of answering the phone with “yellow”. She enjoyed meeting up with her past co-workers over the years. One night Joan attended the Fonda Firemens Ball at the Cobblestone in Storm Lake where she met Elwayne Madsen. On January 16, 1954, they were united in marriage at the Methodist Church in Varina. The couple started their home in Storm Lake where they were both employed, then moved to Battle Creek, Galva, and rural Ida Grove where they farmed for 3 years until the drought of the 1950’s. On Oct. 13, 1954, they became the parents of one son, William Leroy of Galva. In Oct. 1958 they moved to Schaller, IA, where they lived and worked for Central popcorn, later known as Consolidated Popcorn. Joan was employed as a secretary there for 28 years and Elwayne for 32 years before the plant closed in 1988. Then from 1991 to 1993 Joan and Elwayne managed an apartment complex with 102 units in South Sioux City, NE, until their retirement. Joan and Elwayne enjoyed dancing for many years and met many good friends over the years. They enjoyed many vacations together before Elwayne passed away in 2003. One thing you might not know about Joan, she was a member of the George Strait Fan Club and had a good collection of his albums. In her retirement years Joan enjoyed spending time with her son and his family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as time with friends after Elwayne’s passing. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, puzzles of all kinds, reading cookbooks, and watching sports on TV. She was active in the Schaller United Methodist church and served as UMW treasurer for many years. She had the ability to smile even when things were not going so well. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her. She is survived by her only son Bill (Sue); 2 grandchildren, Chris (Amy) of Wichita, KS, and their children Mick and Morgan, and Mallory Loflin of Phoenix; Nicole (Ben) Huisinga of Correctionville, IA, and their children Maddison, Will, Wyatt and Keira; 2 siblings, Lyle Archer of Council Bluffs IA and Jean Garrett of Bullhead AZ; sister-in-law Norma Archer, numerous nieces and nephews and friends. Preceding her in death are her husband Elwayne; her parents William and Anna Archer; brothers John (Esther), Tom (Alice), Robert, Evans “Pete”, William (Betty), Charles & Benjamin in infancy; sister-in-law Mary Archer and brother-in-law Ray Garrett; parents-in-law Leroy (Elsie Carstens) Madsen, sister-in-law Delores (Donald) Vogler; many nieces and nephews.

Joan Madsen

May 31, 1934 - February 22, 2021