Earl Dwight Matheny, Jr
Earl Dwight Matheny, Jr
Earl Dwight Matheny, Jr was born south of Clearfield in Hamp Wittermute’s farmhouse and brought into the world by Dr. Morton Crew August 5, 1947. He was welcomed home by his loving parents Earl, Sr. and Eileen Matheny and older sisters, Donna Lou and Karen Sue. Dwight was the baby and the only boy, but never spoiled. He started school in Clearfield and then the family moved to Creston while he was in kindergarten.
Growing up in Creston, Dwight carried the Creston newspaper, and he played baseball with the peewees and the midgets for Bill Sears.
Earl, Sr. worked in the meat departments of grocery stores and in 1960 the family moved back to Clearfield to open E&E Grocery. Dwight was in 8th grade. He had a heart murmur as a youngster and had to have help going up and down the steps in Clearfield due to that. He graduated from Clearfield in 1965. He met the love of his life Carol “Mike” Bailey in school. She was a year older than Dwight, and while he was a senior she went to business school in Des Moines.
They were married in November 7, 1965, after he graduated from high school. His mother cried because her baby was leaving home.
In 1966 he purchased a Chevelle SS, which his daughter still owns. He was very proud of that car and the family took many memorable trips in it.
Dwight was drafted in 1969 to the Vietnam War. He reported to Bedford to the draft board. From there he went to Fort Ord, California. He was an E5 cook for a 5-star mess hall and a chauffeur for a 5-star general.
When he was called to Vietnam, he didn’t end up leaving but spent his entire service time in California. Mike was able to join him after basic training and they lived in California for 2 years.
When they came home from Dwight’s time in the service, he went back to work at the E&E grocery and eventually purchased it in 1976. He had worked for his parents’ while in high school and continued to work for and with them his entire life.
He loved the grocery store and he and Mike made it their dream to serve the community of Clearfield for twenty-six years.
They were honored to be Grand Marshalls of the Fourth of July parade for their commitment to the community. Their pride and joy Courtney Kay was born on October 9, 1974, only missing being born on Mike’s birthday by 29 minutes. Mike always said that Courtney was her best birthday present.
In 2002 Dwight and Mike decided to start a new profession. They sold the grocery store and bought the bar in Clearfield. Dwight and Mike did all the work to re-do the bar themselves. He retained his meat cutting shop in the kitchen of the bar and maintained a large customer base. Dwight was an excellent meat cutter. In 2004, they opened Mickey D’s restaurant and bar in Clearfield and maintained it until 2015.
When they sold the bar, they stayed in Clearfield a couple years before moving to the Treynor area to be closer to their daughter and her family. They went to the nursing home in Griswold in 2019. Mike passed away on June 17, 2020. Dwight moved back “home” as he called it to Clearview Nursing home in Mount Ayr.
He had his Hospice Veteran’s pinning and was honored with a Veteran’s quilt for his service on July 11, 2023. He passed away peacefully on July 15, 2023.
Throughout life, Dwight and Mike touched a lot of people. They never turned away anyone and were willing to help others whenever they could. Dwight was known for his orneriness and sense of humor. His family remembers Dwight for the nicknames he gave each of them as they were growing up. Dwight and Mike enjoyed spending time with their family and friends, golfing, traveling, and spending time with one another.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mike, parents, Earl and Eileen Matheny, in-laws, George and Lucille Bailey, sister-in-law Paulette (Don) Burger, nephews Larry, Lonnie, and Lanny England, Clint Kniep, Randy Long and niece Angela England, and great nephews Benjamin Dodge and Jon Ecker.
Dwight is survived by his daughter Courtney Kay of Treynor, two grandsons, Kaden Dwight and Trey, and granddaughter, Alex, sisters Donna Moore (Keith) and Karen Elliott, brother-in-law George Bailey, nieces, Diane Long and Karla Denney (Nic) and nephew, Lester Elliott (Amber), numerous great grandchildren, great nieces and nephews, and extended friends and family.
A memorial service will be held at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, August 25th at the United Methodist Church, Clearfield, Iowa. Burial to follow at the Clearfield Cemetery. A social hour will be held at Bootleggers in Clearfield (the bar Dwight and Mike built) following the internment.
