Paul Edsel Mathison

Paul Edsel Mathison, 89, of Preston, died Monday, April 24, 2017 in Atlanta, Ga., due to a brain bleed.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 29, at the Cherry Grove United Methodist Church in Cherry Grove, Minn., with Pastor Dave Lieder officiating. Burial of his ashes will be in Cherry Grove Cemetery.

Paul Mathison was born on January 12, 1928 to Charles and Maude (Terbeest) at his parents’ farm in Forestville Township. He attended the Flying Cloud one room school and graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1945. He attended Westmar College in Le Mars, Iowa for two years. He joined the Minnesota National Guard in 1948 and served until 1952. While in the Guard his Division was chosen to travel to Nevada to take part in the atomic bomb test.

He met June Meisner, a surgical nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital on a blind date in Rochester. The couple married on April 11, 1953 and made their home on the farm by Greenleafton. They worked side by side on the farm milking cows and raising crops for over 35 years. Paul loved to travel and visit with friends and new acquaintances across the country and around the world. He was well read and very knowledgable about history and world geography. No one was a stranger to Paul. For several years he volunteered as a driver for Semcac, driving people to doctors appointments in his Saab, which he was so proud of. Paul was a dedicated church member and was the lay leader for many years. He enjoyed singing in the Cherry Grove Church, a men’s quartet, and the State Line Men’s Chorus. He was a former member and president of the Preston School Board. Paul enjoyed his morning coffee groups and a daily (sometimes two) coffee stop at Casey’s in Preston.

He is survived by his twins, Alan (Linda) and Eloise (Gary) Skaggs both of Preston, and Sue (Tim) Richter of Lime Springs, Iowa; five grandchildren: Jamie and Alex Mathison, Paula Skaggs, and Denise and David Richter; one brother, Curtis Mathison of Detroit, Mich.; several nieces and nephews, and a special friend, Peg Seifried of Cresco, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife in 2010, his brother Arlo, and sisters Elener, Eunice, and Armida.

Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Friday. April 28 at Hindt-Hudek Funeral Home in Preston (Formerly Thauwald Funeral Home) and also one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

Online condolences may be left at www.hindtfuneralhomes.com.