Miriam R Matthews

Miriam Ruth (Gutekunst) Matthews of Seward was born on August 15, 1937 to Pastor Carl and Verona (Pieper) Gutekunst in Mauston, Wisconsin.  She was baptized as an infant at St. James Lutheran Church in Necedah, Wisconsin and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church northeast of Storm Lake, Iowa.  She graduated from Bethany Lutheran High School in Mankato, Minnesota in 1955. 

She attended Concordia Teachers College in Seward, Nebraska. After 2 years and 2 summers, she taught for 1 year at St. Paul Lutheran School in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  On June 29, 1958 Miriam was united in marriage to Larry Matthews (whom she met and dated at Concordia) at Zion Lutheran Church near Storm Lake, Iowa.  To this union three sons were born.

Miriam went with her husband to Atchison, Kansas, Imperial Beach, California, Norman, Oklahoma and Detroit, Michigan where she substituted and taught in Lutheran schools when needed and enjoyed her two young sons.

In 1968 the family moved to Seward where her husband taught math at Concordia Teachers College and Miriam completed her degree in education.  At this time their third son was born and after receiving her degree she substituted in several schools in Seward County until she joined the Seward Elementary School System as a remedial reading teacher and became a classroom teacher in the Garland and Goehner centers.  She returned to teaching reading at the elementary building and at St. John Lutheran School when these centers were closed.

Miriam enjoyed teaching whether in sunday school, vacation bible school or elementary school.  She also enjoyed students in her home during May term and summers.  She liked traveling, camping and canoeing with her family and time at the cabin at a small lake in northern Minnesota.  At the lake she enjoyed grandchildren, family and friends sharing in the fun and people catching Northern for her to fry. 

Miriam passed away on October, 15, 2024 in Seward, Nebraska at the age of 87.  She is survived by her husband, Larry Matthews of Seward, Nebraska; sons, Michael (Julie) Matthews of Sidney, Nebraska; David Matthews of Monrovia, California and Steven (Nancy) Matthews of Duluth, Minnesota; grandchildren, Emily (Andrew) Parrott, Alyssa (Adam) Kershaw, Noah (Madison) Matthews, Zoekia (Justin) Scherkenbach, JoJamba (Grant) Abrams, Andrew (Katie) Matthews and Ian Matthews; and 7 great grandchildren.  Miriam was preceded in death by her parents, Rev. Carl and Verona Gutekunst, brother, Carl Gutekunst and infant grandson Jacob Allen Matthews.

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