GENEVE ESTELLE MATTHEWS
1909 - 1972
Written by Tom Stanford - 2/22/2010
Geneva Estelle Matthews was the first of two daughters of Thomas Marion (Bob) Matthews and Tilda Ann Matthews. Geneva Matthews was born in 1909 and passed from this life in 1972. Her final resting place is Ethridge Tennessee in the Old Ethridge Cemetery.
Growing up with her sister, Sibble Matthews, around saw mills, she was exposed to a hard and simple life. She attended one-room schools, which was very normal for that period of time.
Geneva Matthews met and married Gene Floyd about 1925. From this marriage one son was born. Billy Floyd is the name his mother gave to him. Billy Floyd was born in 1927 and died in 1929. At that time very little
Medical treatment was available. His final resting place is in an unmarked grave in the old Florence, Alabama Cemetery. No cemetery records show the grave location. My mother, Sibble Matthews, pointed out the gravesite to me.
Geneva Matthews marriage to Gene Floyd did not survive and separation and divorce followed.
The life story of Geneva should be written in two different books. One book could contain the life that she lived. Some chapters of this book should be put in an archive, for any person that would choose to access. She certainly kept no secrets.
The second book would have many interesting chapters of a Geneva Matthews that only a few people knew. Geneva Matthews was a person of many talents. She worked different jobs and every job that she held was very much below what she was capable of doing. Some would say that she didn’t take life serious until she was past the age of pursuing her talents.
She had that contagious “Matthews Smile” and fun loving personality. She never had any problem telling you exactly what was on her mind. My favorite comment about Geneva Estelle Matthews is this. I borrow these words from John Greenleaf Whittier; "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these -IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN". This is the way that I will always remember my aunt Geneva (Nennie) Matthew. She loved her family.
Growing up with her sister, Sibble Matthews, around saw mills, she was exposed to a hard and simple life. She attended one-room schools, which was very normal for that period of time.
Geneva Matthews met and married Gene Floyd about 1925. From this marriage one son was born. Billy Floyd is the name his mother gave to him. Billy Floyd was born in 1927 and died in 1929. At that time very little
Medical treatment was available. His final resting place is in an unmarked grave in the old Florence, Alabama Cemetery. No cemetery records show the grave location. My mother, Sibble Matthews, pointed out the gravesite to me.
Geneva Matthews marriage to Gene Floyd did not survive and separation and divorce followed.
The life story of Geneva should be written in two different books. One book could contain the life that she lived. Some chapters of this book should be put in an archive, for any person that would choose to access. She certainly kept no secrets.
The second book would have many interesting chapters of a Geneva Matthews that only a few people knew. Geneva Matthews was a person of many talents. She worked different jobs and every job that she held was very much below what she was capable of doing. Some would say that she didn’t take life serious until she was past the age of pursuing her talents.
She had that contagious “Matthews Smile” and fun loving personality. She never had any problem telling you exactly what was on her mind. My favorite comment about Geneva Estelle Matthews is this. I borrow these words from John Greenleaf Whittier; "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these -IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN". This is the way that I will always remember my aunt Geneva (Nennie) Matthew. She loved her family.
