In October of 1901 Alfred [A.J.] MATTHEWS bought 80 acres in Section 10 of Benton township from Jon W. MATTHEWS. Descendants are unsure of who built the house and barn that were put on the farm as well as who set out the orchard.

Al married Artie COWELL, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elias COWELL. To them on June 1, 1917, a son Marshall W. was born. He was to be an only child. The mother, Artie, died [July 22, 1917] when Marshall was very young and he was raised by his loving grandparents [Elias S. COWELL and Mary WILDMAN COWELL], his uncle Clyde (Peanut) COWELL and his father in the grandparent's home, the hotel in Maloy.

Marshall attended all grades and graduated from the Maloy school in 1933. He continued his education at Northwest Teachers College in Maryville, Missouri, and taught school at Oregon, Missouri and at Maloy before he entered the service during WW II.

Earlier he had married Dorothy DALTON, daughter of Gail and Kate DALTON from the neighboring town of Benton. They lived on his father's farm a while and Al lived with them. Then, due to ill health, Al spent his last years in a health care center north of Mount Ayr. He is buried by his wife in the SHAY [Platte River] Cemetery.

A few years after his army service, Marshall and Dorothy bought the Benton General Store. Eventually Marshall was named postmaster of Benton post office. He served in this capacity for 11 years. Then he transferred to the Benton route as a rural carrier. He also served Redding and Mount Ayr. He retired from the Mount Ayr route after serving 33 years and 11 months in the postal service.

Marshall and Dorothy have two children - a daughter Mary Kathryn and a son Gail. Mary Kathryn has been a schoolteacher in Council Bluffs many years. She is married to Karl GEPNER originally of Mount Ayr. Gail now lives in Oklahoma City.

Marshall was a beloved grandfather and his stories of Father CULHANE and "the Irish" and "growing up in Maloy" will never be forgotten by his three grandchildren, Mike GEPNER and Gail and Angela MATTHEWS.

NOTE: Marshall MATTHEWS died in 1982. Dorothy (DALTON) MATTHEWS was born May 6, 1921, and died May 20, 1995. They were interred at Benton Cemetery.

SOURCE: Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887 - 1987 p. 149.

Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library

Transcription and Notes by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2011