Arthur "Art" Madsen

MILES CITY - Arthur John Madsen, age 97, of Miles City, also known as "Papa Art" to his grandkids, passed away surrounded by his family on Dec. 13, 2008, at Holy Rosary Hospital in Miles City.

Arthur John Madsen was born on July 19, 1911, about 100 miles north of Regina, Canada, the son of Theodore Arthur and Minnie (Lind) Madsen. In 1918 his family moved to Montana and homesteaded 70 miles southeast of Miles City on Mizpah Creek. They moved to Montana on the train - his mother and two older siblings riding in the passenger sections and his father and all their belongings and the assortment of livestock riding in a box car. He grew up there and attended country schools when possible.

Art was in the CCC's for two years from 1934 to 1936 and stationed at Fort Howe in the Custer National Forest, where he operated one of the first dozers. After that he worked at Fort Peck Dam from 1936 to 1939.

Blanche Aubrey met him in 1939 when he was working for the Forest Service above Red Lodge. This was a temporary job. The next summer he was back and worked for the Forest Service again on a trail crew on the Rosebud. This is the trail on the East Rosebud that goes to Mystic Lake. In the fall of 1941 he went to work for the U.S. Vanadium, a chrome mine above Red Lodge. He built the road opposite Beartooth Pass on the way up to the mine and Hellroaring Plateau. That job only lasted for two years and then Art worked as a roughneck in the Elk Basin oil field of Wyoming until the end of the war. Art and Blanche were married at Red Lodge on Nov. 18, 1941. They were blessed with 67 years of marriage.

In 1946 Art and Blanche moved to Cooke City and lived there for seven years where Art worked for two different gold mines. He operated dozers and shovels. He also had a lead mine claim that he worked using a pick, shovel and wheelbarrow to mine that claim. They moved to Nye in 1953 and he worked as a mechanic for American Chrome. In 1961 he was transferred to Nevada and he worked at Gettchell Gold Mine, 45 miles north of Winnemucca. He was the master mechanic for all their equipment. In 1965 he resigned from Gold Field Corporation and moved to Miles City. He worked for L.P. Anderson's Tri-State Equipment for 20 years as a diesel mechanic.

Art enjoyed bowling and walking. He participated numerous times in the Senior Olympics bowling competition with his partner and friend Bert Lee. The two of them took home countless medals for their bowling performances, even well into their 90s.

Art is survived by his wife, Blanche of Miles City; his sons, Arthur J. (Pat) Madsen of Casper, Wyo., Charley (Alice) Madsen of Gillette, Wyo.; daughters, Gladys (Leon) Burris of Battle Mountain, Nev., and Kathy (Tracy) Barnes of Miles City; his sister, Dagmar Parrish of Kalispell; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Art was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Georgia; sisters, Dorothy Hutchison and Evelyn LeVay, and brothers, Ted Madsen and Vernon Madsen.

Visitation will be from 1 to 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home with services at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, in the chapel at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home, Miles City. Burial will follow at the family lot at the Custer County Cemetery. Should friends desire, memorials may be made to Holy Rosary Hospice, Miles City. To express condolences, you may visit www.stevenson&sons. Services entrusted to Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home, Miles City.