Doris Martha Madson, 103, Sauk Rapids

December 14, 1917 - December 20, 2020

Doris Martha Madson, age 103, Sauk Rapids, MN, died Sunday, December 20, 2020 at Good Shepherd Senior Community, Sauk Rapids, MN.

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic a funeral service will be held at a later date. Burial will be in Lakewood Cemetery, Albert Lea, MN. Funeral arrangements were made by Benson Funeral Home, St. Cloud, MN.

Doris was born December 14, 1917 in Austin, MN to Newton and Edna (Larson) Bigelow. She lived most of her life in Albert Lea, MN, the eldest of six children. Doris graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1935. On October 12, 1941 she was united in marriage to Milo E. Madson at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, MN.

Doris was a wife, mother and fulltime homemaker, who volunteered at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea where she taught Sunday School and Bible School for many years, and held offices in Mission Circle and American Lutheran Church Women. Doris was active in the VFW Auxiliary her whole adult life. In the auxiliary she held each office at least once and sometimes repeated when no one else wanted the job. She was a Girl Scout leader for Jean’s troop and den mother for Paul’s Cub Scouts. Doris made breakfast every morning for Milo and packed his lunch as well as lunches for Jean and Paul. (They never got up in time to have breakfast). She was known for and proud of her great memory. She always remembered birthdays with a card, until her vision failed. After that when family were looking at photos and wondering who was on them, if you described the setting, the date, and what people were wearing, she could tell you who they were, what the occasion was and probably what was served for lunch. Recalling vacations, she remembered every stop on the journey, and probably what restaurant we ate at. She will always be missed as our fountain of family lore.

Doris is survived by daughter, Jean (Donald) Leiran of St. Cloud, MN; four grandsons, Barry Jensen, Alec, Kevin (Leslie) and Jon (Alison) Madson; granddaughter, Jessica Berns; ten great grandchildren, Gina, Grace, Sam, Ashton, Ava, Aiden, Brendan, Lexi, Rylee, and Sarah; three sisters-in-law, Doris Bigelow, Elise Bigelow, and Elda Bigelow; and five nieces, Sherry Cyza, Carol Ruggeri, Claire Elise Niedermeyer, Bethany Haberstroh, and Mary Nathan.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Milo in 2005, son, Paul in 2011, an infant daughter, all five of her younger siblings, William (Eleanor), James, Clare and Warren Bigelow, and Annabelle (Donald) Hansen, and two nieces, Susan Macarthy, Nancy Johnson and a nephew, David Bigelow.