Norman E. Madden

Mr. Norman E. Madden Sr., 68, of the Remmel Community, outside Newport, died Saturday, June 18, 2011 at his home in Remmel, in an area known locally as Coon Island. He was born Jan. 9, 1943 in Cow Lake Community, Beedeville, the son of Roy E. and Lola Iris (McFadden) Madden. Mr. Madden grew up with nine siblings in the Cow Lake Community, attending school in Beedeville. He attended Harding College and Arkansas State College, receiving a BS degree in Agriculture specializing in engineering. He also completed two years of graduate work at the University of Arkansas before returning to Beedeville to farm with his family. He farmed alongside his brothers for 35 years. Madden served as a Justice of the Peace and member of the Jackson Country Quorum Court for 21 years. He was Jackson County's representative on the Association of Arkansas Counties and Quorum Courts, a 75-member governing body, for which he served his last three terms on the 12-member executive board. As a Justice of the Peace, he officiated at 49 weddings. Madden was also a member of the North Central Arkansas District Council for Riceland Foods. Madden was a member of the Beedeville Church of Christ, where he served as an elder. Much of the energy and passion of his life in recent years was focused on his work at the local prisons. Madden worked diligently as chairman of the board seeking to build a chapel at the McPherson women's prison. He was preceded in death by his father, Roy E. Madden on June 3, 1987; his mother, Lola Iris (McFadden) Madden on March 18, 1984; four brothers, Ralph E. Madden on Jan. 11, 2002, Dale Madden Sr. on March 6, 2000, Joe E. Madden Sr. on Sept. 29, 1995, and Harold Alton Madden Sr. on Nov. 29, 1968; two sisters, Etta Reid on Sept. 5, 1990 and Royslen Madden on June 24, 1934; one nephew, Roy Thomas on Sept 24, 1992; and one niece, Cherri Jean Madden King on Sept. 27, 2002. Mr. Madden is survived by his wife of 49 years, Eileen (Lowery) Madden of Remmel; his children, Ed Madden of Columbia, SC, and Jeff and Raeann Hayes Madden of Jonesboro; three grandchildren, Dillon Madden, Kyle Madden, and Keely Eileen Madden of Jonesboro; three brothers, Stanley Madden, Kenneth Madden, and Hervey Madden, all of Beedeville; and one sister, Elaine Thomas, also of Beedeville. Friends may visit at Jackson's Newport Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, June 23 at Beedeville Church of Christ, with Dr. Gary Elliott officiating, assisted by Rick Watson. Interment will be in Madden-Walker Cemetery in Cow Lake Community. Those honored to serve as pallbearers will be Steve Reid; Harold Madden Jr.; Mike Reid; Mitch Reid; Joe Madden Jr.; Tony Madden; John Paul Madden; Kenneth Madden Jr.; John Kevin Madden; Keith Madden; Danny Thomas Jr.; Dale Madden Jr.; and Mac Madden. Honorary pallbearers will include elders and deacons from the Beedeville Church of Christ, Larry Dabbs, Wayne Foushee, Bart Gaskin, and Jim Peacock; members of the Jackson County Quorum Court; and Chad O'Dell, Jim Eskew, Ronnie Nance, Joey Rennicke, Alvin "Curly" Cheshier, Bob Penix, Alvin Mullins, and Jim Reynolds. Memorials may be made to the McPherson Chapel Fund for the McPherson Prison in Newport, at McPherson Chapel Fund, Inc., c/o Merchants & Planters Bank, PO Box 650, Newport, Ark. 72112. Arrangements by Jackson's Newport Funeral Home www.jacksonfh.com.