George Madsen was born on October 21, 1839, in Denmark. He farmed in his native land until age 40 before emigrating to the United States, settling in Yankton County, South Dakota. He married Elsie Larsen, and they had six children: Annie, Conrad, Marie, Johanna, Louisa, and Eleanor. Madsen purchased 220 acres in Yankton County, where he engaged in stock raising and cereal cultivation. He later moved to Yankton, where he resides. A devout Lutheran and respected community member, Madsen exemplified success through hard work and dedication.
George Madsen.—On the peninsula of Denmark George Madsen first opened his eyes to the light of day, his birth there occurring on the 21st of October, 1839. He was educated in the schools of his native land and reared under the parental roof. He had two brothers, both of whom are now deceased, and he has a sister, Mrs. Robert Thogersen, who is now a widow and resides upon a farm in Yankton County. On attaining his majority, Mr. Madsen of this review began farming on his own account in Denmark and remained in his native land until forty years of age, when he sailed for the United States.
At the age of twenty-nine years, the subject was joined in wedlock to Miss Elsie Larsen, whose father was a farmer of Denmark. She had three brothers: Conrad, Hause, and Nelse, who are married and reside in that country. It was there that she gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Madsen. They became the parents of six children, five of whom were born before the emigration to the new world, while the youngest is a native of South Dakota. These are Annie, Conrad, Marie, Johanna, Louisa, and Eleanor. The eldest daughter is the wife of William Neiland, who is a prosperous farmer of Yankton County. Conrad married Miss Huber and is now living on his father’s farm, which he has recently purchased. He has one son, Richard Julius, while Mrs. Neiland has four children: Clara, Henrietta, Harvey, and Arthur. Marie Madsen became the wife of George Klise, of Vermillion, South Dakota, and has one son, Lester. Louisa is the wife of Charles Frick, who was born in Yankton County, and who has purchased a farm on Beaver Creek, where he is living. The youngest daughter is being educated at the University of South Dakota, located in Vermillion, and is now eighteen years of age. Johanna is a nurse in a hospital at Pueblo, Colorado.
Upon coming to the new world, Mr. Madsen made his way across the country to Yankton County, where he purchased two hundred and twenty acres of land, upon which he made his home, devoting his time and energies to its development and cultivation. He raised considerable stock and also engaged in the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to the soil and climate. In his work, he was energetic and practical, and a glance at his place indicates to the passerby the careful supervision of the owner. Whatever success he has achieved has come to him as the direct result of his own labors, and his life indicates what it is possible to accomplish in a land where labor is not hampered by caste or class. He has recently purchased a home in Yankton, which is now his residence. He and his family are devoted members of the Lutheran church of Yankton, of which the Rev. Solberg is the pastor. As a sincere Christian gentleman, a straightforward businessman, and a good friend and neighbor, as well as a devoted husband and father, Mr. Madsen deserves representation in this volume among the leading citizens of Yankton County.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.