Verna Madsen

Obituary for
Verna June Madsen (Rasmussen)

Verna June Rasmussen Madsen

Verna Rasmussen was born June 4, 1929 to Loyal Rasmussen and Alta Olivia Domgaard in a beautiful little stone house in Ephraim, Utah. She married Gale J. Madsen on May 4,1948. They were sealed In the Mount Timpanogos Temple on March 24, 2001.

Verna spent her early life in Ephraim playing with her cousins and spending time with her grandparents. Verna’s mother died when she was just eight years old and she had many responsibilities helping her grandmother with her younger siblings and household chores. Despite these many responsibilities, Verna had many fond memories of escapades with her friends, twirling the baton in the marching band, playing tennis and going to dances. After high school, Verna moved to Provo with her cousin and got a job as a change girl at Woolworths. She loved this independence but when her father died suddenly, she returned to Ephriam to again help with her siblings and housekeeping. She married Gale the next May and moved to a little apartment in Orem.

Verna worked as a bookkeeper for Madsen’s cleaners until their daughter Sherrie was born in October of 1949. She and Sherrie often went all over the Western States with Gale as he worked on large construction projects. When Sherrie started school, they bought a home in Orem, but continued to go on jobs with Gale in the summer. Robin was born in October of 1957. Verna loved her girls and always said that the best part of her life was when her girls were growing up. Verna and her girls continued to spend the summer with Gale on job sites and had many adventures on mountains with no electricity and in cabins with wood stoves. In 1965, Verna, Gale and the girls moved to a small town in Northern California. They loved the warmer climate. Verna tried her hand at being an Avon lady; she was her best customer. They stayed in California until 1972 then returned to Utah. After both girls were married, they again returned to California where Gale would finish his career and retire. Verna insisted that they would never return to Utah, but back they came 5 years later. Utah was their home.

Verna loved her girls and was a support to Gale through many long years of poor health. She was dearly loved by her grand children and laughed when they teased her about getting her hair messed up or about her house being such a mess when there wasn’t a spot anywhere. She especially loved to have visits from and get pictures of the great grandchildren. Verna will always be remembered for her great sense of style; she was always beautifully dressed and she rarely missed a hair appointment. Her house was always immaculate and she loved “fixing it up”. Her family and neighbors remember the fabulous candy bags that she made and put together every Christmas.

She is survived by her daughters, Sherrie (Ron) Haycock, Napa, California and Robin (Dave) Feitz, Provo, Utah, 9 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Melba (Max) Frederickson and sisters-in law Linda Black, Lois Rasmussen and Kathryn Madsen.

The family wishes to thank all those that gave support and care to Verna during the last three years.

Funeral services will be held Saturday December 30, 2017 at 11 a.m. at the Nelson Family Mortuary, 4780 N. University Ave. Provo, Utah. Family and friends may visit from 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. prior to the services at the funeral home. Verna will be buried next to her infant son and husband Gale at the Orem City Cemetery, 1520 North 800 East, Orem. Condolences may be sent to the family at NelsonMortuary.com.