Submitted by Russell Cain
Lewis Ray Madden and his wife Juaniece Marek Madden were natives of Calhoun County, she having been born in the Six Mile community and he in Port O’Connor. Both were educated in Calhoun County schools. Lewis graduated from Port Lavaca High School in 1939; Juaniece graduated from the same school in 1950 as the valedictorian of her class. After graduating, Lewis Ray attended Texas A&M University in Kingsville until World War II when he joined the United States Coast Guard, serving until 1946. After his service, he returned to Port O’Connor and went into business. He was part owner of Madden Mercantile, South Beach Terrace, and Port O’Connor Theatre.
Jauniece and Lewis were married January 19, 1951, and moved to Seadrift where they built two businesses, Main Theatre and Western Auto True Value Store. They also owned the Madden Dry Goods Store. Lewis served as a director of Seadrift and First National Bank. He was also a member of First Methodist Church of Port Lavaca.
In 1987, they sold their businesses and moved to their farm on Highway 38 in Calhoun County. After retiring, they became active in community work, especially with the Calhoun County Senior Citizens Center. They also traveled throughout the United States as well as in many foreign countries.
Even though they had retired, they remained active in community projects thereby gaining many honors in recognition of their tireless work. Juaniece was selected as Woman of the Year in 2006 by the Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce. She also served as a member of the Senior Citizens Foundation, Port Lavaca Main Street Theatre, Calhoun County Taxpayers League, Golden Crescent Workforce Commission, the Harbor Children’s Alliance, and the Calhoun County Humane Society.
The Maddens were very hard workers who always promoted their county in whatever endeavors they undertook. Their activities were always centered on Calhoun County, so the creation of the Madden Foundation in July of 2008 was a natural outgrowth of their heritage.
One of the community projects that was emblematic of the Maddens’ desire to give back to the community was their work in making the Main Street Theatre a functioning theatre again after many years of neglect and deterioration.
Russell Cain remembers that in 1991, that both were involved in scrubbing and cleaning the old downtown theatre; they were a part of the involvement of the whole town in the re-doing the Main Street Theatre. Not only did they work physically to renovate the theatre, but they also spearheaded the application for a grant from the Meadows Foundation in Dallas, a grant that was received when the Foundation saw the number of $5 and $10 donations from the people of the county. Those donations represented the widespread community support for the project of renovation. As a result, the theatre was dedicated in 1992.
The first play in the refurbished theatre was performed on the night of September 29 in 1994 and billed as a Gala Grand Opening. The play was directed by Pat Jurek, the theater teacher at Calhoun High School (the former Port Lavaca High School) and Russell Cain’s former teacher. Jurek directed 24 people in the cast. Invitations were delivered on a silver platter by Mrs. Jurek and others. That first performance was that of a murder mystery which took place in a courtroom where a jury chosen from the audience deliberated the fate of the accused. The defendant was a lady accused of doing away with her boyfriend.
The theatre was full that night, which gratified Russell since he was the defense attorney who was able to get her off with a not-guilty verdict. What a grand time was had by the people who attended this initial performance. The community celebrated the return of the theater to Port Lavaca and the prospect of further productions utilizing local talent. In addition, the theater hosts other events of a varied nature.
The Maddens always wanted the best for Port Lavaca and Calhoun County. The Madden Foundation continues to give back to Calhoun County with their support of the Calhoun County Humane Society’s animal shelter, the Heritage Center, a function of the Senior Citizens organization, the Port Lavaca Main Street Theatre, and many other projects.
The contributions of Juaniece Madden to the furtherment of her community was recognized by her being named the first recipient of the Port Lavaca Rotary Scholarship, the first woman to receive this honor.
Juaniece and Lewis Madden always admired hard workers who were also making Port Lavaca and Calhoun County better places. They were a couple dedicated to whatever job they could do to help further that end, whether it was scrubbing the bathroom floors in the theatre downtown alongside Russell Cain, Fay Sterling, and Ray and Tina Davila, or helping the project raise funds.
We have missed the Maddens, but the Madden Foundation represents that legacy of hard work and service. Their foundation has meant jobs for the many who staff the various non-profits supported financially. The Madden Foundation is a non-profit that is on sound financial footing, as evaluated by those who evaluate such organizations. Their saving and investing have meant much to those organizations and to the people served by them. The Foundation is thus a model for others to follow.
