James 'Jim' L. Madden
EAST GULL LAKE -- James "Jim" Laurence Madden, 85, East Gull Lake, died Friday, March 9, 2001, at his home.
He was born May 13, 1915, to William J. and Aliza May (Kaplin) Madden in Stillwater. He graduated from Stillwater High School and majored in mining and engineering at the University of Minnesota where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He bought the Pine Edge Inn in Little Falls and ran the hotel until 1981. He served in the Air Force during World War II in Hawaii and was discharged with the rank of captain. After the war, he returned to the Pine Edge Inn. He married Alice Barton, who died in 1968. He married Marjorie Riley Maloney in 1969.
For 70 years, he was involved in the resort business with this brother Jack and later, with a third partner John Arnold, as the owner of Madden Resorts on Gull Lake. He was past president of the Minnesota Hotel Association, Minnesota Resort Association co-founder, Golf Course Superintendent's Association president. He served on the American Hotel and Motel Association board of directors and as a National Resort Committee member. He served on the Minnesota Governors Advisory Committee through several governors and was the first recipient of the Minnesota Resort Association's Pioneer Award, given to an individual who made a significant contribution to development of resorting in Minnesota. He was a Little Falls Rotary Club charter member, Brainerd Rotary Club member, a Paul Harris Fellow and a member of Toastmaster's. He was also an Eagle Scout.
Survivors include his wife, East Gull Lake; two daughters, Kathy, Brooklyn, N.Y., Deb Thuringer, East Gull Lake; and two grandchildren; Marjorie's two children, Karen Phillips, Grosse Pointe, Mich., James Maloney, McLean, Va.,; and her four grandchildren.
Services are June 10 at St. Thomas of the Pines Catholic Church in East Gull Lake. Memorials are preferred to the Madden Hospitality Scholarship Fund, for students who want to enter the hospitality industry but cannot afford to do so, in care of Marjorie Madden, Madden Resorts, 11266 Pine Beach Peninsula, Brainerd. Arrangements are with Halvorson-Johnson Funeral Home, Brainerd.