William Craig Matthis 1921 - 2012

We in our family have lost a beloved brother, father, grandfather and friend.

He lived a long and full life, starting in the small mountain town of Pineville, Kentucky.  He was the fifth child in the family of Rose Gamp Matthis and Chester Craig Matthis.

When he was five years old he was eager to read and ran constantly to his mother to ask her what words said.  She said he taught himself to read as he had a curious and quick mind.  He grew up in another location in a small mountain town called Gulston, Ky.  The distinguishing feature of this area was a grocery store at a crossroads.  Where Bill's family lived was in a large house surrounded by plenty of land for raising kids and cattle.  At an early age he learned to milk the cows which my father kept, to sell milk to augment his income as a bookkeeper.  There was a tennis court and a woods behind the house, plenty of room for exploring outdoors.

The family grew however,  and they  moved into the county seat of Harlan, Kentucky, where Bill and his siblings entered the Harlan Independent School System.  As the years rolled by Bill wanted to get out and be independent.  He had an agreement with his parents that when he had graduated from high school they would sign papers for him to join the army.  Bill already had a talent for understanding engines and mechanical machines.  When our  mother wanted to find Bill she went to the Motor company not far away and looked in the window where she always saw him down on the floor helping and learning from the mechanics there.

When he did enter the United States Army Air Force, he signed up to learn airplane mechanics.  Eventually he was sent to the China, Burma, India theater of war, during World War II.  He lived in the jungles and salvaged airplane parts from downed planes.  During this time he wrote to his mother and used a code they had worked out, to let her know where he was at each letter writing.

After the war he returned home to work on the large machines used to extract coal from the mines in Bell County, Kentucky where his brother Kenneth was the General Manager.   He fell in love with, and  married the sister of Kenneth's wife.  His bride's  name was Axie Belle Marsee.  Bill and Axie had two daughters, Ann and Jane. 

When the girls were in their teens, Bill and Axie went to live in Litchfield, Illinois where he continued to work on giant machines, in a large number of Coal Mines.  In order to minimize travel time between the various mines he trained for a pilots license and flew himself where he needed to be.  He and Axie found many new friends, in a new hobby of square dancing, as they traveled around with a dance group.  He was a member of the Presbyterian church and served as Elder for many years, in The Parish of the Open Door.

Cancer took Axie, the love of his life and he slowly began to build a new life. He continued living in his home and was always finding ways to help his neighbors and also the farmers in the area who had large machinery needing maintenance.  Bill was adventurous all of his live.  At age 85 he went sky diving with a friend.  He spent years helping his grandson Adam with scouting and other pursuits over the years.  He went each year to the annual reunion of the Veterans of the China, Burna, India theater of war.  An event he enjoyed as long as he was able.

We grieve for the presence of Bill.  When a man has lived a productive life and served his God, his family, his country and his friends in positive ways, we remember him in positive ways, by honoring him with memories of who he was and what he did with his life.

His daughters and their families were with him when he passed on to another dimension, a journey he embraced with hope and courage.  As a symbolic "bon voyage" they opened the window of his room so his spirit could fly away  home.  We can rest in the knowledge that his last journey will be as successful as all the others.  God bless you Bill.  The world is a better place because you of what you did to make it so.