Eleanor Agnes Madison

Eleanor “Elly” Madison of Pine City passed away Friday, November 19, 2021 at St. Clare Living Community in Mora at the age of 93.

Eleanor Agnes Plemel was born November 24, 1927 to Jacob and Elizabeth (Meschisnick) Plemel in Sedan, Minnesota.

Elly grew up in Ogema and attended grade school there.  She graduated from Waubun High School in 1946 and moved to Minneapolis to live with her sister Betty.  She worked at Walgreen Drug Store.  Elly enjoyed going to dances at the Prom Ballroom in St. Paul.  This is where she met Gordon Madison.  They were married on June 14, 1948 at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Waubun.  Together they made their home in rural Pine City and farmed with Gordon’s parents, Carl and Effie Madison.  Elly stated, “although at times it was hard making a living, the family never went hungry, and of course the farm provided a great opportunity to keep five children out of trouble.”

Elly and Gordy were very active in the National Farmers Organization (NFO) and met many lifelong friends.  In 1965, Elly went to work at the State Hospital in Cambridge as a supervisor in the kitchen.  She retired from there in 1990.

Some special memories included a trip to Englefeld, Canada in 1979 to visit her sister Mayme and her family on the Plemel homestead.  In July of 1979, they went on trip to Kildeer, North Dakota for a family reunion on Gordon’s side of the family.  At the time she didn’t realize how important these memories would be, as Gordy had a heart attack on October 25, 1979 and passed away at the age of 53.

After Elly retired, she continued to enjoy traveling with her sisters, nieces, nephews and children.  She enjoyed an Alaskan cruise, Disney World, Hawaii, the Badlands, Yellowstone Park, Glacier Park and a trip to Oregon.

Elly loved cooking and baking for family.  She enjoyed special meals that her son, Tom, made for her.  Playing cards and Dominos and an occasional trip to the casino, time spent at the Pine City and Hinckley Senior Centers were all of her favorite past times.

Elly always had a smile on her face and love in her heart.  But most of all she was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  She will be dearly missed by her family, friends and neighbors.

Elly is survived by her children Glenn (Marcia) Madison of Cambridge, Carl Madison of Rockport, TX., Twylah (Mitch) Teich of Pine City, David (Shelly) Madison of Forest Lake, Thomas Madison of Pine City; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; sister Elizabeth “Betty” Olson (age 101) of Bloomington; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Jacob and Elizabeth Plemel; husband Gordon Madison; father-in-law and mother-in-law Carl and Effie Madison; 6 sisters; 6 brothers and their spouses.

Monsignor Aleksander Suchan will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial for Elly: 10:30 AM: Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pine City.  A time of visitation and reviewal is planned from 5-7 PM; Monday (11/29) at the Swanson Funeral Chapel in Pine City with a Rosary at 7 PM.  There will also be visitation and reviewal one hour prior to the Mass in the St. Anthony Commons Area at the church.  The interment will take place in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Pine City.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to: Funeral and Cremation Service of Pine City ~ Swanson Funeral Chapel

www.FuneralAndCremationService.com