As a young man he went ot foot from the family home to Taylor County, Iowa where he visited with an uncle. He stayed a year and then returned to Wisconsin with another man who had a pack horse.

On January 1, 1872 he was married to Louisa Ann MARSHALL in Wisconsin. Louisa had been born on board a ship January 23, 1853 somewhere between England and New York State. Since they were only a few days out of New York, that was listed as her birthplace. Her family stayed in New York only a short time and in 1854 had moved to Wisconsin.

The young newly-wed MATTHEWS couple came to Iowa by oxen and covered wagon after their marriage and settled near Maloy. Their farm was on [the] Platte River in Sections 4, 9 and 10 (the land Ralph KEPLINGER now [1987] farms). Mr. MATTHEWS built the big two-story square house there.

Billy and Louisa were to become the parents of twelve children. Three of them, Joe, Alfred and Lora, lived their lives in the Maloy vicinity.

Farmers then had good and bad times as now. The story is told of one day in June of 1875 when Billy was cultivating corn that was three or four inches high. He went to the house for dinner and when he returned the grasshoppers had moved in and had taken the whole field. They stayed two days and left with a roar like thunder. Billy harvested 100 bushels from the 40 acres that year.

Louisa died in June [13] of 1908 and William in September of 1935. They are buried at Shay [Platte River] Cemetery west of town.

Children of William Andrews Louisa Ann (MARSHALL) MATTHEWS:

1) Alfred J. [A.J.] MATTHEWS, born Nov. 25, 1872, died Feb. 27, 1961, interment Platte River Cemetery; married Artie Blanche COWELL, born Jan. 13, 1878, died July 22, 1917, interment Platte River Cemetery
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 when Marshall was very young and he was raised by his loving grandparents, his uncle Clyde (Peanut) COWELL and his father in the grandparent's home, the hotel in Maloy.

2) Mary MATTHEWS, born 1876, died Sept. 18, 1876, interment Platte River Cemetery

3) Lucy J. MATTHEWS, born June 21, 1878, died Sept. 22, 1880, interment Platte River Cemetery

4) James MATTHEWS, born circa 1873

5) John W. MATTHEWS, born 1874, died 1947, married Mary I. (1878-1964), interment Clearfield Cemetery

6) Martha E., born circa 1879 [from 1880 Federal Census]

7) Jesse "Fletcher" MATTHEWS, born June 1881, and died in 1941, he married Rose (1888-1970), they were interred at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr; son Raymond died aged 9 years on July 17. 1919, interment Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr

8) Lenora "Nora" MATTHEWS, born Jan. 1888

9) Lora M. MATTHEWS, born June 4, 1892; married Charles Arthur NEWBURN (1882-1963)

10) Robert Lloyd MATTHEWS, born June 18, 1894, died Apr 17, 1976; married June 14, 1916 May Ellen BENDER who was born near Maloy June 7, 1898, and died October 21, 1980

    son Carroll Perry MATTHEWS (1921-2001), World War II Veteran, interred Diagonal Cemetery, married 1941 Juanita Marie MORROW

    son Kenneth Eugene MATTHEWS, born Feb. 3, 1917, died Oct. 1985, married July 27, 1957 Mildred "Millie" BRUNER (1915-2010)

    daughter Roberta Maye (MATTHEWS) COOK

11) Joseph MATTHEWS, born Apr. 1890, died March3, 1964; WWI Veteran; married 1938 Margaret Ann JEANES (1914-1987)

11) Irene Lucile MATTHEWS, died June 18, 1909, interment Platte River Cemetery

12) unknown

Names of William Andrews and Louisa Ann (MARSHALL) MATTHEWS' children determined from census and cemetery records, obituaries and Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887-1987.

SOURCE: Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887 - 1987 p. 147.

Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library

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