Jack Mader – A Memorable Lifelong Farmer and Rancher

Jack was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison and also belonged to the VFW in Colfax. For years he farmed and ranched nearby.

Tim (Jeni) Bird was his farming partner and is survived by many special friends; both his parents have passed on before him.

Early Life and Education

Jack Mader was born in Madison to Lawrence and Erma Mader on March 5th 1939 and soon after took an interest in farming, taking pleasure from operating his tractors. Additionally, he loved coffee as much as anyone and enjoyed meeting new people.

He was an avid fisherman who greatly appreciated spending time with his family. He belonged to various organizations such as Elks Lodge 148 at LaCrosse and Whitman County Shrine Club as well as serving in the National Guard.

She is a Hechinger reporter covering early childhood education and writing the Early Edu Newsletter for Hechinger Publishing Group. In addition, she has extensive writing on teacher preparation, special ed and rural schools; winning multiple awards for her efforts.

Professional Career

Jack was an active member of Colfax Elks, Masonic Lodge at LaCrosse, Scottish Rite and Whitman County Shrine Club as well as being an amateur radio operator (HAM). Together with Dolores he loved traveling around in their RV before wintering at Palm Desert.

He was an accomplished road and track cyclist, as well as having dabbled in cyclocross racing. His death caused shockwaves to spread throughout the cycling community.

He had an immensely strong presence in the peloton and was immensely beloved by teammates, rivals and fans. Additionally, he was actively engaged in philanthropy through raising money for charities like Justdiggit that are focused on regreening Africa to reduce temperatures on Earth. Additionally he enjoyed gardening and animal protection; leaving behind his wife and their two children in North Minneapolis where his burial took place.

Achievement and Honors

Jack Mader was an accomplished artist and photography teacher, founding, establishing, chairing, and leading Minneapolis College’s photography and digital imaging program for over 25 years before stepping away to devote more time to personal art work after retiring in 2016. Throughout this time he won many awards for his artistic works as well as membership of various professional organizations; his distinctive photography style became widely renowned worldwide. Jack is survived by Lance (his grandson); sisters Judy Arneson of Sioux Falls South Dakota, Jan Peterson from Brandon SD and Michael Mader from Brandon along with nieces and nephews (all preceded him). His parents (both deceased).

Personal Life

He was passionate about nature and spent every beautiful summer day eagerly waiting for his shift at East River to end, so that he could hop onto his tractor and explore its wide open spaces. Growing up working and playing on farms had always been part of his identity and this passion for it never subsided.

He spent many hours, days, and years restoring tractors, which gave him great pleasure. It gave him great satisfaction to take something old and transform it back to new. And Prairie Village provided the perfect setting to showcase his masterpieces.

He was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather who took great pride in his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Additionally, he was a proud member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison where he often played organ for special services.

Net Worth

He amassed his fortune through his professional cycling career. A skilled road and track cyclist, he won numerous races. Additionally, he became an in-demand television sports personality hosting various shows. Most of his wealth came from race winnings and sponsorship deals.

At the 2021 Vuelta a Espaa, Mader made an impactful showing as Jack Haig’s domestique. Although experiencing early setbacks in his race performance, Mader proved himself in stage nine en route to earning a seventh-place finish and later joined Jack Haig and other lead group riders on Lagos de Covadonga for stage 17.

At home he was known as an affectionate husband to Darlene Strom and father to Wayne (Kathy), Sam, and Austin Mader as well as proud grandfather to Averi Hennen and great granddaughter Ashlyn Strom. A member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison Wisconsin.