Kenneth O. Madsen

Ken is survived by his daughters, Susan Krell, Katherine Moore and her husband Danny, and Linda Elam and her husband John; grandchildren Olaf, Ruth, Abby, Andy, Joanne, David, and Sarah; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Ken was born in LaVoye, Wyoming on May 30, 1926, to Walter Perry Madsen and Hilda Hawkinson Madsen and grew up in the Salt Creek oil field, where he was a Boy Scout and played in the VFW drum and bugle corps. He first knew there must be a God as he sat in a swing looking at the stars, then he learned of Jesus from an itinerate pastor and received Jesus as his Savior at the age of nine.

Ken left high school in Rawlins, Wyoming early to train for stateside Army work. But the day he turned eighteen he was sent to the infantry, and he was first scout when his unit crossed the Rhine at Ramagen. He received a Brass Star for a later action. Back home, Ken went briefly to McPherson College in Kansas, where he met Mary Sue Buxton, his future wife. After he graduated from the University of Wyoming, he and Mary married and moved to Wisconsin where their three girls were born and he was awarded a PhD in biochemistry by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Christian mentors in Madison helped him keep his faith while becoming a scientist and instilled love for prayer, Bible study, and evangelism. In 1988 Ken and Mary moved to Bellaire; Ken spent his career at the UT Dental Branch, retiring as a professor emeritus in 1991. He shared his faith readily with troubled students and was glad to be the faculty sponsor for a noon Bible study on campus.

Ken was also an outdoorsman, enjoying everything from crabbing in the Gulf surf and biking along bayous to camping, hiking, and trout fishing in the Rockies. Mary and he had tickets to the Houston Symphony for years, and he supported his daughters by attending all their music recitals and performances. He was known for loving hymns and singing all the verses of his favorites from memory. At home Ken led family devotions; at church he taught the Bible to adults and was a deacon. Mary and he supported many missionaries throughout their 71 years of marriage and spent countless hours reading their letters and praying for them. As a Gideon, Ken helped with Bible distributions and was allowed to share his wartime faith with inductees into the military. The Madsens appreciate all the friends and neighbors who generously expended time and effort to keep Ken active. And all of us are deeply grateful for the care given Papa by his granddaughter Sarah Elam. Her selfless devotion after Mema’s death blessed him and all who entered his home. She willingly gave 9½ years of her life to care for her grandparents, and when Papa passed away Sarah was by his side, praying and comforting him to his last breath.

A visitation will be held at Earthman Funeral Directors, 4525 Bissonnet St, Bellaire, TX 77401, US, on March 12, 2026, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Burial will take place at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77038, US, on March 13, 2026, at 10:00 am.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Pine Valley Bible Church, 4101 Grimes St, Houston, Texas 77087, on March 13, 2026, at 2:30 pm.