subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Wed, Jul 23 2008 

Resources

print this story   Print this story
email this story   E-mail this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Photos


Dr. Virgil Matthews was on the board when Muskogee Public Schools were integrated.

Published May 19, 2008 10:11 pm - Former patients and friends of Dr. Virgil D. Matthews were saddened Monday to hear the beloved 89-year-old physician had died at his Muskogee home.
“You couldn’t have asked for a kinder or more competent doctor than Dr. Matthews. It’s like losing a member of the family,” said Linda Hattaway, director of the Muskogee County Health Department.


Muskogee mourns physician
Dr. Virgil Matthews dies at age 89, more than 8,000 babies later

By Donna Hales and Cathy Spaulding
Phoenix Staff Writers

Former patients and friends of Dr. Virgil D. Matthews were saddened Monday to hear the beloved 89-year-old physician had died at his Muskogee home.

“You couldn’t have asked for a kinder or more competent doctor than Dr. Matthews. It’s like losing a member of the family,” said Linda Hattaway, director of the Muskogee County Health Department.

When Matthews died he was the medical director of the Muskogee County Health Department, Hattaway said.

“Not only did the staff love him, the patients loved him. They’d say, ‘He not only delivered my kids — he delivered me,’” she said.

He delivered more than 8,000 babies during his career, retiring from private practice in 1994. But he didn’t retire from caring for poor people until two months ago.

He recently said the best thing he’d heard in his life was when two men were recently sitting at the clinic and one suggested his ill friend needed to see Dr. Matthews.

“What’s he specialize in?” the man asked.

“What do you mean, ‘specialize in?’ He specializes in poor people — like us,” his friend said.

Matthews said it thrilled his heart to hear that statement, adding that making money was never a goal of his, but treating people who needed him was.

In his spare time, he was a member of the Muskogee Board of Education for 32 years. He was the founding father of the Muskogee Public School Foundation.

Muskogee Public Schools Superintendent Mike Garde praised Matthews’ contributions “as a school board member and a citizen of the community.”

“He was a stabilizing member of the school board, and he knew three administrations,” Garde said. “His experience gave superintendents the opportunity to bounce things off of him. The board has not met his standards before or since.”

Matthews served earlier on the city council. In 1990, he received the A.H. Robins Award for Community Service from the Oklahoma State Medical Association for the physician who, in addition to his practice, had done the most for the community.

“I loved every minute of it,” he recently said. “I wouldn’t change anything.”

A Sunday school teacher most of his adult life, he presently was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Gibson.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.




monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide


Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Premier Guide

Premium Jobs

2107-Telephone Sales Reps Needed
American Health Benefits
- 1 yr. exp. preferred
- Generous compensation
- Base + weekly commissions
...>MORE

2095-Cook
Harmony House is now hiring an experienced Cook. Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Apply at 208 South 7th, Muskogee...>MORE

2072-Accent Staffing
Has Several Positions we Need to Fill!
* Grinders
* Industrial Janitor
* Production
* General Labor<
...>MORE

2075-CMA's & CNA's
Ft. Gibson Nursing Home has immediate openings for
CMA's- 3 to 11 Shift and CNA's- All Shift

SIGN ON BO
...>MORE

2065-Marketer
Home Health Agency in need of a marketer person to market for the Muskogee and surrounding area. Please e-mail resume to...>MORE

2084-Dental Assistant
As a Medicaid provider, Ocean Dental is proud to provide qualitydental care to children and young adults from families i...>MORE

2080-Janitorial Manager
Evening janitorial manager wanted for Muskogee area. Must be bilingual in English and Spanish.
Call 918-857-3388.
...>MORE

2102-Delivering Phone Books
Earn Extra Money - Flexible Hours TemporaryPositions
We are recruiting individuals to deliver the phone books in t
...>MORE

2101-Dirvers
Marrlin Transit, Inc.
"A Regional Carrier"
Receive a 1,000 Sign On Bonus
COME GROW WITH US
Our new S
...>MORE

2071-Cherokee Natoin Industries
Cherokee Nation Industries, LLC, a tribal corporation, is searching for the following positions to support its growth st...>MORE

2074-RN
Grace Living Centers Corporate Office is seeking resumes for a RN who has a strong background in Long-term care. We are ...>MORE

2117-Construction
Temp to Hire oppurtunity for Heavy Equipment Operators. We are seeking individuals with GOOD WORK HISTORY, drug free, no...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Real Estate

2068-Janitorial Manager
Evening janitorial manager wanted for Muskogee area. Must be bilingual in English and Spanish.
Call 918-857-3388.
...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Extras

2038-Boston Terriers
9 weeks, declaws, 1st shot & womer. 918-339-4840...>MORE

2061-AKC Rottweiler Puppies
Born 5/13/08, shots, wormed, docked tails. $400
919-647-7480 or 918-647-4533.
...>MORE

2115-AKC Pembroke Welsh Corgis
Tri Colored, Sables. Hand Raised.
918-869-2368
...>MORE

2077-2 Wheel Car Dolly
2 Wheel Car Dolly $650 OBO.
Remmington 870 Pump $225.
918-683-2424
...>MORE

2098-AKC Min Pins
AKC Min Pins 4 Females, 2 Male, young breeders 6 for $500 APR- Soft coated Weaton Terriers 1Male
1 Female young ad
...>MORE

2039-John Deere Tractor
54hp, gas, on 3020 Chassis, recent overhaul, field ready. PTO 3pt, PS, $6500 obo. 918-484-2364....>MORE

2078-Broke Palomino mare
Dun mare with stud colt, 2 geldings
918-689-9524 or 617-0454
...>MORE

2104-Persian Kitten
1 CFA male white Persian kitten, crystal blue eyes,
8 weeks, shots & wormed. $350.
918-689-2372 or 617-0082.
...>MORE

2036-Torkie Puppies
$200 each Shots & wormed, cute.
918-689-3925.
...>MORE

2067-2004 Jayco Flight RV
2004 Jayco Flight, 28 ft 5th wheel, large slide out, clean. Asking $16,800 918-869-6888 or 687-8081...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

rc