Obituary of Lois Irene Madsen

Lois Irene (Featherston) Madsen passed away peacefully on February 25th, 2021 at the age of 92. Lois was born in Ripley County, Missouri on December 11, 1928. The seventh child of Henry and Etta (Rideout) Featherston. She was educated in the public schools of Doniphan, attended Anderson University in Indiana and Southeast Missouri State College. In 1949 she married the love of her life, Danish born Viggo Holm Madsen, an art student at Syracuse University, New York. Together they lived in Syracuse for 3 years where Viggo earned his BFA and MFA before moving to Marathon, N.Y. where Viggo taught art. In 1955 they moved to Long Island, N.Y. where they would reside for more than forty years. Viggo taught art at Roslyn High School and was an adjunct Professor of Art at Nassau Community College, all the while gaining critical acclaim for his art. Lois was a devoted wife and mother in addition to working as a secretary for a corporate lawyer and estate planner. She was an award-winning baker and was known for her chocolate chip cookies and jelly roll made with homemade jelly from her own the grape arbor. Her home was an open door welcoming all ages, genders, race, and religion. One of her greatest joys was serving holiday dinners for family and friends. She has a strong faith in God and attended church all her life until illness intervened. Lois relocated to Binghamton, N.Y. in 1998 after the death of her husband and remained in the area until her death. She leaves her family and friends with many wonderful and loving memories. Surviving is her son Kirk Holm Madsen (Theresa) Binghamton, N.Y., daughter Karen Kris Madsen (Charles Heesh) Windsor, N.Y., grandchildren Rabeca Madsen (Las Vegas), Stuart Heesh (Honolulu), Kyle Madsen (Chicago) and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, Lois was also preceded in death by her siblings, Charles Featherston, Clarice Braschler, Veta Sutherland, Jim Featherston, E.E. “Gene” Featherston and Dorothy Lamb. At her request there will be no funeral or memorial service locally. A grave side service will be held in Doniphan, Missouri where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband and other family members. Memorial gifts may be made to Broome County Council of Churches CHOW Food Bank or Doctors Without Borders.