Matthews / Scorpion

Goldie and Herbert Matthews

Herbert Matthews married Goldie Reeder in 1916. Both were from difficult childhoods. Herbert was forced to quit school and go to work at the age of 13. Goldie’s mother died when she was 9 years old and she was placed in an orphanage by her father and she grew up exposed to cruelty and hard work. As a result, Herbert and Goldie shared a deep desire for a close-knit family. They raised their eight children to have strong principles and tight kindred ties. The Matthews section of this website is intended for their descendants and is dedicated to Herbert and Goldie Matthews, their family, and their ancestors.

Stanley Matthews and the USS Scorpion Crew

Stanley served in the Navy, as did his father, Herbert, and his brothers Jim and Herb. He trained as a radioman, and when America entered World War II he was assigned to the submarine Scorpion in the China Sea. He was a dedicated son and loving brother, who sent a large portion of his Navy earnings home to help the family make ends meet. In February 1944, the Scorpion was lost at sea, and so Stanley, at the age of 20, and his fellow crew members are now on eternal patrol. The Scorpion section of this website is dedicated to those men, like Stanley, who gave their lives for our freedom.

About This Site

LET FRIENDSHIP KINDLE HERE

Those words adorned the mantel of the fireplace in Herbert and Goldie Matthews’ home in Indianapolis. A mere four words, they speak volumes about the character and sentiments of the Matthews’ family. Like the bright fire crackling below them, these words reflected the love and warmth that permeated the Matthews household, kindled and strengthened by replenishing acts of care and support. A heat radiating outward, a strong sense of family was passed on to the children and descendants. This website celebrates that kinship. Just as we’re all children of one heavenly Father, so too we belong to a large family of ancestors, and the genealogy record reminds us of the unbroken string of parents and children that leads all the way back to Adam. In the spirit of Herbert and Goldie, let friendship continue to kindle here.

This website presents historical information about Herbert and Goldie Matthews, their children (while they were young), and their ancestors. It also presents information about the USS Scorpion submarine and Stanley Matthews and the rest of the crew who gave their lives for our freedom. If you would like more information than what is presented here, or would like to get connected to living Matthews descendants, please contact me.

“Every family has a story that it tells itself, that it passes on to the children and grandchildren. The story grows over the years, mutates, some parts are sharpened, others dropped, and there is often debate about what really happened. But even with these different sides of the same story, there is still agreement that this is the family story. And in the absence of other narratives, it becomes the flagpole that the family hangs its identity from.”

A.M. HOMES, O Magazine, Apr. 2007