Community Helps Giving Family of 10 After Home Burns Down

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

WASHINGTON, Oklahoma -- A McClain County family has given a lot to their community, so when they lost their home in a fire over the weekend, they found it was their turn, not to give, but to receive.

After living there for 24 years, the last thing Richard Madden was expecting was that his house would burn down.

"I've always heard you know it's-- I guess you could say-- it's just like butchering a hog. Once you get the outside insides you just lose it all," said Madden.

The home to Madden, his wife and eight children was a total loss.

"All my kids growed up here and all so I mean this is, this was part of our lives. I mean, it's just shattered," Madden said with a laugh.

Few men could laugh after losing their homes, but then you don't known Richard Madden and his wife.

"They're good people. They're givers. They're doers. They're survivors," said Madden's sister Carolyn Miller.

A few years ago, Madden helped build a home for a woman in Washington. Now the community is giving back to him.

"I got friends out there I didn't even know I had. And I mean people's coming out of the woodwork and all, offering things, giving thing. Saturday night I couldn't get it all in my ice box with all the food churches and people around here brought me," said Madden.

The Maddens are living temporarily in a mobile home, and they're looking for a rental house in Purcell.

In time they plan to rebuild their home. Fortunately, the Maddens had their home insured.