Andrew, Tracy, Hadley, Eleanor and Jack
Tracy Falkenrath had to personally put her name onto Andrew Madsen’s contact list on his phone because he just knew he couldn’t spell it correctly. We can all be grateful that Tracy shared her name and number with this great guy. Yep, the rest is history. That was the beginning of their relationship. Let’s learn a little of the rest of their story!
Tracy was raised in Park City, Utah until she was eight years old. At that time, the Falkenrath family of six, which included Tracy, her parents, her two older sisters as well as an older brother, moved to Holladay, Utah. Tracy attended Cottonwood Elementary, Olympus Junior High and then Olympus High School, where she graduated.
After graduation Tracy attended the University of Utah where she eventually graduated with a degree in Behavioral Science and Health. Tracy was the first Falkenrath to graduate from college! What a big deal! Way to go, Tracy!
When Tracy was in her second year at school at the U, she was very involved as a pledge officer in her LDS sorority, Omega. It’s a good thing too, because that’s where she met Andrew Madsen, who was the pledge officer in his LDS fraternity. Andrew had been home for just six months from serving in Vladivostok, Russia on a mission. The timing was perfect and the dating began! After dating a year, Andrew wanted to propose to Tracy, but being the gentleman that he is, he went to Tracy’s daddy first, to ask for permission to propose to Tracy. Tracy’s daddy said, “NO, first you need a good job with insurance and benefits.” (Oh my goodness! What a shock! Well, here’s a bigger shocker!) The next day Tracy’s daddy went on a business trip, which was not uncommon, and ANDREW PROPOSED TO TRACY! Yep, that actually happened. As Andrew explained, he had the whole thing set up. A drive up Logan Canyon, an arrangement with a gentleman who had two saddled horses and a chosen trail to ride on with a destination spot being a tree that can been seen from the distant highway to Logan so that years from now they could tell their children, “See that pretty tree on top of that mountain that is standing all alone? That is where your daddy proposed to your mommy.” Andrew just HAD to go through with the proposal! Who could fault him? They became engaged and were married six months later in the Salt Lake temple. Andrew said with a laugh, “Today, I’m his favorite in-law! And yes, I have a job with insurance and benefits!” Can you just tell how much fun Tracy and Andrew have together?
Tracy has a sweet memory that happened to her family when she was a very young girl. Her brother heard a tiny squeaking noise underneath their second story deck. Finally his search took him to a litter of kittens that were in a precarious and secluded spot where the neighborhood mama cat, (that no one would claim, but everyone fed) had eight tiny kittens. One by one,Tracy’s brother rescued the tiny kittens from their dangerous spot. The last one to be born was not breathing. Tracy remembers her mother tenderly stroking and rubbing the life back in to that sweet little kitten. (Isn’t it amazing how the simplest experiences we have as children are the ones we remember and treasure as adults? That’s a wonderful life lesson.)
Activity in the church was not a priority in her family when Tracy was growing up. They were a close family and really enjoyed doing things together. Tracy’s older sister started going to church quite regularly with some friends. She encouraged Tracy to join with them at church. Eventually, Tracy was in the MIA MAID class and had an outstanding adviser who was especially caring, kind and interested in Tracy and her successes. (Just what EVERY young woman needs! And just what Tracy needed at that time in her life!)
About that time, Tracy had a tender turning point in her life. Tracy had been watching her sister read her Book of Mormon every night and decided to try doing the same thing. After following her sister’s example,Tracy received a sweet, but definite testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. (Here is another sweet life lesson: As siblings, we never really know how very important our examples are to our other sibs… Pretty cool!)
Tracy loves her calling in the Primary Nursery. Tracy loves baking. This is where Andrew pipes in and proudly mentions that Tracy is actually pretty well known for her chocolate chip cookies! Tracy loves making homemade salsa and chili sauce. She actually bottles a lot of all kinds of things! She also loves reading Jane Austen books and is about to experience a Regency Retreat in Lindon, Utah where she and her sisters will get to experience and celebrate the Regency Era and all things Jane Austen for an entire day, including wearing the period costumes. (All Jane Austen fans are smiling right now!)
Tracy feels that her greatest joy is that of being a wife and a mother. She admits that having to wait for what seemed to her as a very lengthy period before she and Andrew started to have their family has made her realize that the Lord has his own time frame. She has had many lessons in learning to be patient. Tracy now acknowledges that we need to trust in His plan in all things and “Father knows best.”
Andrew Madsen was born in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, raised in Sugarhouse and is an only child. Andrew went to Hawthorne Elementry, Hillside Junior High and graduated from Highland High School. Andrew recognizes that he was raised in the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood very near Westminster College. His family home had the Emigration Creek in the backyard. They owned both sides of the creek with a bridge connecting the two sides. Truly a young boys dream backyard! A euphoria for playing paintball and many other games in that backyard that was terraced with railroad ties. They even have a cabin next to the creek. A perfect playground for Andrew and his friends!
Andrew’s daddy is an aerospace technician and an artist. He loves to study the art of native people. All kinds of art from all kinds of native people. He has even made his own didgeridoo. He is a very interesting and very talented man! Sadly, Andrew’s mother had poor health and passed away when Andrew was 26 years old. Before she passed away she shared some good advice with Tracy on how to take care of Andrew. She told Tracy that if Andrew is showing any signs of frustration or agitation, send him outside for awhile, then feed him and put him to bed! Fabulous advice from a beloved mother!
Andrew was active in church when he was growing up in his Sugarhouse ward. The young men’s group was very small in that area. He was busy and involved in church and school but vividly remembers a turning point that he experienced shortly after graduating from high school. He remembers as a youth that there was always someone in his life to teach, encourage, instruct and be involved with in a very positive manner. Once he graduated from high school, he felt a void, a “nothingness.” It was real. It was empty. That’s when he realized that he really needed to stay connected with the church and the people in the church in order to fill that void. That experience really strengthened his testimony. He realized just how important the church is and how important a sense of belonging is in one’s life.
That is when Andrew decided to serve a mission.
When he opened his mission call to Russia he began to realize just how very sheltered he had been being raised in Utah. Kids in Russia that are of missionary age are usually involved with substance abuse. It was common there. The Russian mafia were friendly to the missionaries and never saw them as a threat to their “business dealings.” Andrew remembers fondly when President Hinckley visited his mission. Members came from all over to see the prophet. The missionaries had to stand in the back of the huge arena where the conference was being held. Andrew couldn’t see President Hinckley but he saw the prophet’s cane as he pumped the air as he walked. He recalls how President Hinckley said that Russia would be the gateway to opening the church in China. It was a very memorable experience.
Andrew has a dry sense of humor that is the best! He loves to teach people things. He loves teaching the primary children. At family dinners and gatherings, he appears as Dr. Von Disaster (costume and all!) and shows all the children science experiments and awesome chemical reactions. He did receive a bachelor’s degree in chemistry before receiving his master’s degree in environmental engineering. At least he can enjoy sharing the rewards of his bachelor’s degree with children!
Andrew is a big kid at heart! He loves anything outside such as snow boarding, hiking, mountain biking. His passion is longboarding! Nintendo is a favorite pastime, but so is reading computer books. He works from home as a software engineer and is really enjoying that experience. Andrew likes to think of himself as a connoisseur of delicious foods. It’s a good thing that he is married to Tracy who just happens to be a very, very good cook!
If Andrew could give advice to anyone he would remind them to prayerfully consider things. Take time to ponder and not to be impulsive.
The Silvercrest Ward is very blessed indeed to have the Madsen family in our boundaries. They are kind, considerate, thoughtful, insightful people. They are full of life and energy and go the extra mile in all that they do. Blessed are we to know them.
— Susie Austin