Barbara A. Mathews

NORFOLK – Private family graveside service for Barbara “Barb” A. Mathews, 87, of Norfolk, will be held at Prospect Hill Cemetery, Norfolk. Rev. Gordon Braun will be officiating the service. Visitation will be 4:00-7:00 p.m., Thursday, April 3, 2025 at the Stonacek Funeral Chapel in Norfolk. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Animal Shelter of Northeast Nebraska. Barbara passed away on Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk. Stonacek Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Barbara Ann (Roe) Mathews was born in Pilger, Nebraska on March 4, 1938 to Elton and Ruth (Klawitter) Roe. She attended school in Pilger, two rural schools in Stanton County, Eton and Estes Colorado, then Norfolk Junior High. She graduated from Norfolk Senior High in 1955. Barbara attended Norfolk Junior college for one year. In 1956 she went to work at Consumers Public Power. On June 9, 1957 she married John "Jay" Mathews who was in the US Air Force stationed at Ellsworth AFB at Rapid City, SD. She moved to Rapid City, SD in September, 1957. Barbara and Jay started a family with the birth of Kimberly in 1958 and Mark in 1959. Over the next 30 years the family lived in California, New Mexico and Germany. During three year-long deployments Barb and the kids lived in Norfolk. In 1977 after the family returned to the States from Germany the kids went their own ways and Barb and Jay went to California for the last assignment before retiring in 1988 and returning to Norfolk. As a military wife she many times had to assume the role of father as well as mother. She never complained about the moves and the work needed to set up a household. In Germany, Barb was the Field Registrar for the University of Maryland and in Moreno Valley, California she managed the Adult Education Program. In Norfolk, Barb worked at Cigarettes and More for more than twenty years. Barb was an avid reader, liked to do jigsaw puzzles, enjoyed going to the casino and loved all the cats she adopted. Barba is survived by her husband John “Jay” Mathews of Norfolk, daughter Kimberly Mathews Svoboda of Norfolk, sister Vickie (Glenn) Kalnasy, grandson Zachary (Elizabeth) Svoboda and great-grandsons Eli and Max. She was preceded by her parents Elton and Ruth Roe, and son Mark Mathews. Condolences may be expressed to the family on-line at www.stonacekfuneralchapel.com.

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Barbara A. Mathews

March 4, 1938 - March 28, 2025