Eugene U. Madison, age 80, of White, died Saturday, August 28, 2004, at the Hendricks Hospital in Hendricks, Minnesota. Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, September 1, 2004, at Morningside Community Church in Brookings, with Rev. John Long officiating. Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery at White. Visitations will be from 4-8 P.M. Tuesday at Eidsness Funeral Chapel in White. Eugene U. Madison was born February 4, 1924, near Viborg, South Dakota, to Ernest U. and Amanda (Jensen) Madison. He graduated from Viborg High School in 1942. He served in the U.S. Navy as a Pharmacists Mate Second Class in the South Pacific during World War II. He married Ardell Paulson on September 24, 1947. After their marriage, they operated a restaurant in Viborg. Gene graduated from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion in 1952 with a degree in education. His first teaching position was as a high school teacher in Sinai. After attending the 171st National Training School for Professional Boy Scouting, he became a District Executive for the Boy Scouts of America-Sioux Council in Sioux Falls. He was the first camp director of the Lewis and Clark Boy Scout Camp near Yankton. He remained in professional scouting for 19 years, also working in Billings, Montana; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and in Freeport and Chicago, Illinois. After leaving scouting, he sold real estate in Sioux Falls for Hanson Realty for four years, and he taught at Edison High School in Sioux Falls for one year. He taught for eight years at Deubrook High School in White, retiring in 1987. While a member of the United Methodist Church of White, Gene organized the finance drive for the new church. With excellent volunteer help and contributions, the church was debt free upon occupancy. He served as Ward I Councilman of the White City Council and promoted the building of the modern facility at the Art Graslie City Park. He was a member and Past Commander of the Higgins-Jessen American Legion Post No. 88. In 1994 he was named Legionnaire of the Year. He promoted the Big Bucks Legion Bingo and was instrumental in the donations given to community improvements. He organized the White Area Fund Drive to help build the Brookings County World War II Memorial; approximately $3500 was donated. He was a member of Morningside Community Church. He took pleasure in making Christmas gifts for his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, and playing cards, and he took great delight in making people laugh. Survivors include his wife, Ardell, of White; two daughters: Janet (Ernest) Wimberly of Benton, Illinois, and Deborah (Steven) Deig of Evansville, Indiana; two sons: Allan (Rhonda) Madison of Rockford, Illinois, and Mark Madison of Telluride, Colorado; nine grandchildren: Danae (Michael) McDaniel and Brea Wimberly of Benton, Illinois, Lexia Campbell of Waco, Texas, Juston and Kiersten Deig of Evansville, Indiana, Bianna (Michael) Wolf of Dallas, Texas, Kathryn (Jason) Trimble of Madison, Wisconsin, and Corinne and Hannah Madison of Rockford, Illinois; and one great-grandchild, Iris Trimble. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers: Vandal, Jack, Jim, and Bill; and a daughter, Gloria Campbell.