Emil Madsen

Emil “Manny” Madsen passed peacefully on November 9, 2025, at 95 years old.

Emil was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1930 to Emil and Ann (Grubel) Madsen. He attended school there until the family moved to Battle Lake, Minnesota, where he graduated, but not before turning the heads of his female classmates with his blue eyes and turtle neck sweater. After graduation, he worked at Madsen’s Resort on Blanche Lake until he joined the Air Force, serving in Korea.

Emil met and married Marlys LaValley in 1957 and together they moved to Kansas City where he attended college graduating with a degree in architectural engineering. They had two children, Marci in 1958, and Mitchell in 1960. The family lived in California and Washington state, where Emil worked at architectural firms, before returning to Battle Lake in 1970 where he continued to work in that field until starting his own business thereafter.

His mother called him her “little man,” earning him the nickname “Manny” to everyone who knew him. Manny’s infectious smile and quick wit earned him many friends and admirers. His sense of adventure and love for sailing, boat design and building, traveling, car collecting, fishing and hunting kept him active throughout his life. He was easy to spot on area lakes in one of his many boats, or speeding about in a sports car. He gave up hunting when he realized he would rather enjoy watching deer at his feeders than turn them into venison.

Owner of Madsen Associates Architects in Battle Lake, his skills and business savvy contributed to his success, designing commercial, residential and other buildings. Notable in Battle Lake are First National Bank, original nursing home, the post office, Art of the Lakes, and Stub’s Bar and Restaurant, as well as Aurdal Church near Underwood, and Minnesota Motors in Fergus Falls. He also designed government-subsidized housing throughout central Minnesota. He sold his business and retired in 1995 turning his attention to travel, and a variety of hobbies.

He and Marlys’s travels took them all over the world, but he had a penchant for heading to wherever he could fish including Lake Michigan, Alaska, Mexico and several Minnesota lakes, often accompanied by his best friend Don “Scooper” Schaap. His pride and glory was catching a very big 400 lb blue marlin in very small boat in Mexico. His smile was as wide as the fish.

His beloved farm property outside of Battle Lake held the best memories for him, his family, and the many friends who visited, where one could always count on a beer or two, and a Jeep ride through the woods.

Manny was preceded in death by his parents, wife Marlys, and sister Jean Malmstrom. He is survived by children Marci and husband Terry Fuller, Mitch and wife Eileen Madsen, grandson Nicholas Fuller, and sister Melanie Greene, plus many nieces and nephews.

He will be interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Clitherall. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.