Charles Lee Matthews, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

Submitted by Mike Miller

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Charles Lee Matthews.  One of the representative men and substantial,

reliable Citizens of Greensburg, Louisiana, is Charles Lee Matthews, a

property owner and general farmer, who for a number of years has been

active and efficient in the public affairs of St. Helena Parish.  He belongs to

one of the staunch old families of the state, the early members of which

came to this richly favored section in Colonial times, and as a family have

always been worthy, useful citizens and respected members of society.



Charles Lee Matthews was born at Schriever, in Terrebonne Parish.

Louisiana, August 28, 1876, the only child of William Wallace and Levenia

(Hutchinson) Matthews.  William Wallace Matthews was born in St.

Helena Parish, Louisiana, June 10, 1339, a son of William Duffs and

Melissa (Lee) Matthews, the former 
of whom was born in Livingston

Parish and the latter in Amite County, Mississippi.  William Wallace

Matthews was a farmer in St. Helena Parish until 1875, when he moved

into Terrebonne Parish, but in the following year returned to St. Helena

Parish and engaged in farming near Greensburg.  In 1908 be retired to New

Orleans, and his death occurred there.  He served all through the war

between the states in time Confederate army, in a Louisiana regiment, and

participated in such great battles as Shiloh and Gettysburg.  His wife,

Levenia Hutchinson, was born in St. Helena Parish, April 6, 1847, and died

on the home farm near Greensburg January 6, 1889.



Charles Lee Matthews attended school regularly in boyhood until he was

nearing his thirteenth year, after which he worked a part of the time on

farms in the neighborhood, and continued to farm for others until 1898,

when he purchased his own farm, a forty-acre tract of highly cultivated

land situated one mile south of Greensburg.  He had made his home with

his parents until the death of his mother in 1889.  Mr. Matthews carries on

his farming operations with improved machinery and according to modern

methods.



From early manhood Mr. Matthews has been interested, as was his father,

in democratic politics, and frequently has been called to assume the duties

of
 responsible public offices.  From 1912 until 1916 he was registrar of

voters for St. Helena Parish.  He was parish treasurer from 1916 to 1920,

and in the latter year was elected parish assessor, in 1924 being re-elected

for four years more.  His public spirit, business capacity and good judgment

have been demonstrated in other ways for the public good, and during the

World war he was one of the most active and liberal men of his community.



Mr. Matthews married in St. Helena Parish, November 28, 1897, Miss

Bettie Easley, daughter of David and Elizabeth (Bates) Easley, and they

have four children:  Lovena Levenia, who taught school very successfully

for four years, is now serving as deputy assessor of St. Helena Parish; 

William Davis, who is a clerk in a general store at Burtsville, Louisiana; 

James Eric, who is a student in the Greensburg High School; and  Mamie

Elizabeth, who is also in school.  Mr. Matthews owns a handsome

residence in Greensburg, together with twenty acres of choice real estate. 

With his family he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, at

Greensburg, and is steward of the church property.  He is a member of

Greensburg Lodge No. 96, F. and A. M., and belongs also to Greensburg

Camp No. 393, Woodmen of the World, of which camp he has been clerk

for the past twelve years.




NOTE:  A signed photograph/painting accompanies this narrative in the

referenced source.



A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 167-168, by Henry E. Chambers. 

Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New

York, 1925.