April 14, 1981 August 14, 2003

We would like to thank all of the people
who responded to the loss of our beloved
Matthew. The cards, letters, flowers, plants,
food, hugs, words of sympathy, encouragement
and prayers are all appreciated. The outpouring
of compassion was simply incredible and
still is. Your very presence at the funeral home
and the service speaks volumes. We have
always known how special our Matthew was,
but to realize the huge number of lives that he
touched, during his much too short 22 years
on this earth is simply indescribable. We cannot
adequately express how much it means to
have so many supporting us. We just want
each and every one of you to know how much
we appreciate the many notes we received
relating your experiences with Matthew. We
will cherish each one for years to come.
As Matthew’s mother I have always known
what a loving, gentle, giving, caring, and
Godly soul he was. My life has forever
changed and I still cannot grasp how life can
continue without him. I only know that God
has a purpose for everyone and only He knows
what that is. I firmly believe that Satan knew
Matthew’s heart and tried his best to strike
Matthew down, break his spirit, and draw him
away from God. Matthew however, prevailed
and God took him before that could happen.
I truly believe that God would not allow
Matthew to suffer anymore, and snatched him
from this earth. Even though I will never
again be able to cradle my Matthew in my
arms while on this earth, or feel the comfort of
his big bear hugs, I know that he is in God’s
hands. I know that I will see him one day, and
oh what a glorious day it will be!
Last semester Matthew had enrolled in a
Sociology course at NCTC, which required
him to tutor troubled, young, students and
write about it for his term paper. He admitted
that he thought it would be a "piece of cake"
class. What he found, instead, was a yearning
to teach young people. He was stern, but
earned their respect. He spoke often of how
much he enjoyed seeing the smiles on the
faces of the students when they finally understood
the lessons he was teaching. It was
while tutoring those students that he decided
to do what he could to lead young lives to the
Lord.

Only recently Matthew had purchased his
"dream truck" and his first house. His life goals
were set in motion and his priorities were in
order. He was pursuing his goal to be a lineman
and lost his life in that pursuit. As difficult
as it is to accept his death, he was doing
what he loved.