Charles D Matheson

October 10, 1912 — December 18, 2008

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Charles Daniel Matheson, 96, of Cedar Falls, died Thursday, December 18, 2008, at the Elizabeth E. Martin Health Center in Cedar Falls, of complications following a stroke. He was born October 10, 1912 at Albion, Michigan, the son of Ernest and Anna (Spangler) Matheson. Charles married Marleta Hill Blitch on August 3, 1970 at Galena, Illinois. He received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Michigan and did further graduate study at Tanglewood Music Center and the New England Conservatory in Boston. Charles served in the US Army 77th Infantry Division from 1943-1946 during WW II. He was Professor of Voice & Choral Music at the University of Northern Iowa from 1955-1982. Before coming to Iowa, Charles was Chairman of the Division of Music at Gordon College, Boston. While in Boston, he was a member of the New England Opera Theatre, tenor soloist at the Church of the Advent, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Trinity Church, and cantor at Temple Israel. In the Cedar Valley, Charles served as choir director at Trinity Episcopal Church, Nazareth Lutheran Church, and the Waterloo Choral Society. He was a member of the Cedar Falls Rotary Club since 1958, serving as President from 1980-1981, a Paul Harris Fellow, and has been the club's song leader for many years.
Survivors include his wife, Marleta, of Cedar Falls; his adopted son, Davis Fleming, of Los Angeles, California; a sister-in-law, Marian Champ, of Waterloo; cousins in Michigan, and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Jeanette Manley.

Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, January 19, 2009, at Nazareth Lutheran Church. Interment was at Fairview Cemetery in Cedar Falls. Memorials may be directed to the UNI Foundation for the Charles & Marleta Matheson Scholarship/Endowment for the School of Music, or to a charity of the donor's choice.

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Charles D Matheson

October 10, 1912 — December 18, 2008

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