Martin Dale Carden

Funeral services for Martin Dale Carden, 60, of Richmond, were held at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Faith United

Methodist Church, located at 4600 FM 359 in Richmond. The Rev. Ben Trammell officiated. Visitation was held from 5

to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at Garmany & Carden Funeral Directors Chapel, located at 1201 Fourth Street in Rosenberg. Serving as Pallbearers were John Carden, Van VanSlyke, Chase VanSlyke, Mark Youens, Kendall Wiley, Thomas R. Culver IV, Lynley Carden, and Josh Hubbell. Honorary Pallbearers were Honorable Tom Stansbury, Peter Brown, Tom Kilty, Honorable Ron Pope, Honorable Jim Shoemake, Honorable Walter Armatys, Lester Van Slyke,

Honorable Bruce Wettman, Joe Indelicato, Bob VanSlyke, Honorable Thomas R. Culver III, V. O. “Butch” Carden, Jr., Shiles Hubbell, and John Madden. Martin Dale Carden was born March 14, 1954, in Galveston County to Vernon Orville

Carden, Sr. and Helen Marie Willeford Carden. He fought a long, courageous battle with cancer for almost two years,  before finishing that battle May 4, 2014, at his home in Richmond, with his devoted wife and family beside him. He was a graduate of Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, received his BS degree from the University of Houston

in 1974, and received his Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law in 1981. He specialized in Child Abuse Mediation Training, and he participated in Continuing Photographic Studies at Rice University. Martin was a member of  the Fort Bend County Bar Association, where he served as Past President, Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer, the State Bar of Texas, and a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. A member of Faith United Methodist Church in Richmond, he had a deep faith in God, trusting Him and being grateful to Him for His gracious gifts to him and his family. Marty was once quoted saying “Law reveals my passion, photography is what is in my heart.” He was a very well-respected family law attorney and mediator, focusing his practice on Family Law, CPS cases, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Earlier in his legal career he served as Magistrate/Associate Judge in the 328th District Court of Fort Bend County, Adjunct Instructor of Business Law at Wharton County Jr College, and Mock Trial Judge at South Texas College of Law. His second profession was photography. He was a gifted artist and his works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and can be found in private collections, as well. We will forever miss his brilliant mind, his incredible artistic

talents, his impeccable taste and sense of style, his unmatched wit and sense of humor, and his gracious and generous heart. He loved his family and his friends and he will be missed greatly by them.He was welcomed into Heaven by his father, Vernon Orville Carden, Sr., who preceded him in death in February of this year, by his brother, Don L. Carden, by his father-in-law, Jim Brown, and by his brother-in-law, Allen Grimsley.He is survived by his loving wife and soul mate of 23 1/2 years, Marsha Brown Carden; six children, Kiesha Youens and husband, Mark, of La Grange, John Carden and wife, Haley, of Mason City, Iowa, Jackie Hamm and husband, Mark, of Richmond, Van VanSlyke of Houston, Lindsey Wiley and husband, Kendall, of Austin, and Chase Van Slyke and wife, Paige, of Katy; nine grandchildren, who knew and loved him as “Pop”, Campbell, Riley and Graham Youens of La Grange, Tristan, Jacque and Judy Carden of Mason City, Iowa, and Jacob, Joseph and Jude Hamm of Richmond; his mother, Helen Carden of Rosenberg; siblings, Butch Carden and wife, Linda, of Stockdale, Jan Culver and husband, Judge Thomas R. Culver III, of Richmond, Debbie Carden of Richmond, and Kellye Hubbell and husband, Shiles, of Mt. Pleasant; mother-in-law, Bobbie Hilbert and husband, Maurice, of Seguin; sisters-in-law, Jana Madden and husband, John of Granbury and Deborah Grimsley of Austin; numerous very special nieces and nephews and other relatives, and many, many special friends. Memorials may be given in his memory to Faith United Methodist Church, 4600 FM 359, Richmond, Texas 77406, or to MD Anderson Cancer Center - Research, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77210-4486. Condolence messages may

be written for the Carden family at www.garmanycarden.com. Garmany & Carden Funeral Directors in Rosenberg was in charge of arrangements.