Harold Matthews to celebrate 100th birthday

The community is invited to celebrate 1999 Citizen of the Year Harold Matthew’s 100th birthday on Saturday, April 19 at Barnesville First Baptist Church. The family will gather between 1 and 2:30 p.m. and are asking people to stop by and say hello.Matthews was actually born on April 22, 1914 but the party was moved so more people would be able to attend. ‘When he was 5 years old he moved from Forsyth to Barnesville to live with his grandparents on Greenwood Street,’ said his daughter Linda Hanner. ‘At 19 he was working as a supply boy at the William Carter Company but when he joined the service he was a rush order clerk.’Matthews served in the Army during World War II, returning home to finish out a 42-year career at the textile mill, ending as its personnel director. All the while he took part in both the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts. He is a life deacon at First Baptist, where he taught Sunday school and led the music on Sunday night for years. He also served as president of the Lamar Civic League and on the board of education and the health board.Now a resident at Sunny Grove assisted living, he was married to the former Louise Porch for 62 years. They had three children, Hanner who lives in Parrott, Charles Matthews Jr. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Randy Matthews of Barnesville. He has seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.