Paul Mathews

Longtime Seminole County public servant and philanthropist Paul Mathews, 86 years-old, died Tuesday, December 24, 2013 at Midwest City Regional Hospital. Funeral services are scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 27, 2013 at Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole, Oklahoma with Pastor Marvin Kehl and Greg Walker officiating the service.  Interment will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens in Seminole, Oklahoma. Visitation will begin on Thursday, December 26, 2013 at Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole. Mathews was born July 14, 1927 at Ninnekah, Oklahoma, to parents Leonard A. and Daisy (Casey) Mathews.  The family moved to Bowlegs when Mathews was five years old, and later to Seminole. He left school early, working to support his family after his father died. He attended school at Independent and Mountain View schools. As a boy, he sold vegetables, picked peanuts, mowed and bailed hay. His first real job was at the Seminole Bakery, where he worked up from sweeping floors and greasing pans to making bread and buns. At 16, he worked at Rogers Lumber Yard, and at 19 went to work for Oklahoma Tire and Supply (Otasco). It was at that time that he married Jane (Joyner) Mathews, who survives him of the home, after 65 years of marriage. His jobs included Standard Motor Supply, Smith Tire and Seminole Ford, before he went on the road selling parts for parts stores. In 1957 he ran for Seminole City Council and continued in that position until he ran for county assessor. He served as assessor from 1959 to 1979. He was named president of the state assessors’ association, and later was president of the county officers’ association. After leaving county politics, Mathews went into real estate. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Realtors’ Association and organized the Seminole County Board of Realtors, on which he served as president for two years. Mathews was responsible for financing dozens of homes for people who couldn’t get regular loans, often giving them a start in life. In the meantime, the man who only finished eighth grade became a self-made millionaire, buying properties all over Seminole County. Mathews was baptized into Carr City Baptist Church, and moved to the First Baptist Church Seminole in 1948. He has been a member of the Lions Club and the Chamber’s Ag Committee. He ran the Seminole Little League for several years in the 1960’s and helped build the ballpark behind the armory, the second field in the Municipal Park and renovated Oiler Park. He also helped Wewoka build a ball park by the golf course. Mathews supported New Lima Schools in many ways, including the recent gift of a school bus. In 1962, he was able to buy his beloved Mountain View School building, where he lived until his death. Paul and Jane Mathews have one daughter, Latresa who is married to Greg Walker, and lives near Seminole; Paul has two grandchildren, Tina Walker who lives near Seminole and Timmy Walker, a student at Oklahoma State University. Paul has a three year-old great-grandson, Eddie Haworth. He is also survived by nephews, Tim Mathews, Leonard Mathews, Tommy Mathews and Rick Mathews.  One niece, Peggy Howard, and a host of other family and dear friends. Paul and Jane Mathews took in 12 children and supported them through school and college, and helped many of them get a start in life with homes and careers. He also helped his five nephews when his brother, Roy, was drowned in Ohio in 1962. He was also preceded in death by his parents and an older brother, Willie Francis, who died in 1928 at the age of one year. Funeral services are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole, Oklahoma. Funeral Information: December 27, 2013, 10:00 AM Swearingen Funeral Home Chapel - Seminole located at 1001 N. Milt Phillips Ave., Seminole, OK 74868