Patricia Ann Matthews, 82, of Wapello died at home on Sunday, October 15, 2017 following a short illness. She was surrounded by her family.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 19, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Dudgeon-McCulley Funeral Home in Wapello. A memorial service and luncheon will be held at the Wapello United Methodist Church at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 20, followed by a private interment at the Wapello Cemetery.
Pat was born on June 8, 1935 at the Muscatine County Hospital, to Louis Roy and Helen (Scott) Williams. She spent the first several years of her life on a farm in rural Muscatine County not far from West Liberty, where her father raised tomatoes and watermelons, and her mother was a housewife. In the early 1940’s, the family moved to rural Wapello. She graduated from Wapello High School in 1953, where she was active in 4H and speech, and was an enthusiastic and talented guard on the girls’ six-on-six basketball team.
She graduated from Mercy School of Nursing in Burlington in 1956, receiving training in both Council Bluffs and Chicago. She married her husband William Lee Matthews on September 8, 1957. The couple lived in Iowa City, where she worked at the Veterans’ Hospital, before moving to Wapello in 1959 where Bill began his career in law. In addition to raising her children, she was the first nurse for the Wapello Head Start program, and worked for the American Lung Association. She was employed by the Louisa County Public Health service from 1972 until her retirement in 2004.
She loved golfing, gardening, and caring for her home, and was a great supporter of both the Iowa Hawkeyes’ football and basketball teams, and the Chicago Cubs, whom she was taught to love by her grandfather Jesse Scott. She volunteered at the Wapello Elementary School, the Wapello food pantry, meals on wheels, and hospice, and was a leader for both the Girl and Boy Scouts of America. She was active in the Wapello United Methodist Church, including the Praise United Methodist Puppets.
She is survived by her husband of 60 years, William Lee Matthews; three children, David and Becky Matthews of Wapello, Elizabeth Ann Matthews of West Chester, PA, and Robert Matthews, of Kirksville, MO; six grandchildren, Danielle Buckley of Newark, DE, Alex Matthews of Wapello, Andrew Buckley of Charlotte, NC, Lindsey Matthews of Chicago, IL, Christopher Buckley of Wilmington DE, and Courtney Matthews of Wapello; three brothers, Scott and Jo Williams of West Burlington, Donald and Donna Williams of Wapello, and William J. and Sheila Williams of Lake George, CO. She was preceded in death by her parents, and sister, Joanne Schwob.
A memorial fund has been established for the Keck Memorial Library, Wapello Volunteer Fire and Rescue, and the Wapello Cemetery Association.