Lola May Matheny

On a beautiful Indian summer’s day, October 10, 1933 in Beaver, a baby girl, Lola May, was born to Charles Uel Keele and Chloe Pearl Balwin Keele.  She was the fifth child born into this loving family that would eventually include eight children.  She moved to Fillmore, Utah from Beaver at the age of two years old and attended 11 years of schooling in the Millard School District. 

Lola loved playing the snare drums in the high school Band under the direction of Dallin Nielson.  She later graduated from Medicine Bow High School in Medicine Bow, Wyoming.  During the summer of 1950 she met Clarence (Mac) Erwin Matheny and they were married in Fillmore, Utah October, 1950 and were sealed on May 8, 1958 in Salt Lake Temple.  At the passing of her husband they had been married for 65 years.

Always active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints she held many callings:  Relief Society President, Relief Society Work Director, Visiting teaching coordinator, Visiting teacher, Primary Presidency Counselor, Primary teacher, eight years in the Young Women’s program, ward Chorister, and Choir member for 20 years, and was a stake missionary twice.

Lola had a great love for genealogy and worked ardently to find and bring temple blessings to her ancestors and many others.

Lola loved to read, crochet, cook and garden both vegetables and flowers.  She loved to sing and was a member of the singing group: The Entertainment Committee.

For 17 years Lola owned and operated two diet centers to help people lose weight.  Both diet centers were located in Colorado.  She loved to learn and went back to school to learn bookkeeping and then worked as a bookkeeper.  In her early seventies she spent four years taking care of elderly people in their homes. 

Lola May Matheny passed away July 23, 2020 due to pancreatic cancer, she was 86 years old.  A granddaughter, Mandie Smith in a Christmas card wrote these words that summed up her grandmother’s life: “How amazed and thankful we are to have a strong and healthy woman like you in our lives.  Your life is a testimony and example of true love.  You have always been beyond kind slow to anger, so patient, so bubbly and full of fun energy.  We love you!

She was preceded in death by her eternal and loving husband: Clarence Matheny; and sons:  Chris and Thomas Matheny; her parents: Charles and Chloe Keele; siblings: Eula Howard, Bonnie James, Lloyd Keel, Vance Keele, and Don Keele, brothers in-law: Jack Howard, David Watson, Lee James and a sister in-law: Shirley Keele.

She is survived by her loving and generous children: Patrick, Roger and Rochelle; grandchildren:  Alexa, Austin and Hyrum Lower, Mandie Smith (Anthony), Jolene Gunari (Adam); great grandchildren: Myla, Anthony and Fredrik Smith, Amelia May Gunari; sisters: Ilene Buckley and Carol Sagert, and numerous nieces and nephews; sisters in-law Dawnetta K. Carling and Starla Keele.

Special thanks to Dawnetta K. Carling, Starla Keele, the Keel and Keele clan, Laurie and Mike Holt, Robert Walker, Bishop Cody Moat and wife Leona, Tawnya Young and the Fillmore 2nd ward members.  Shauna Nelson, Kristie Penny, Charlie Brown and Dough Jenkins from Hospice.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, August 1, 2020 at 11:00 AM in the Fillmore Stake Center (21 S. 300 W.).  A viewing will be held prior to the funeral from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM.  Interment will follow at the Fillmore City Cemetery under the care of Olpin Stevens Funeral Home.  Online condolences can be offered at www.olpinstevensfuneralhome.com.  The family requests that participants wear masks (not provided) and practice social distancing.