07/07/2025
The spotlight for July is GR and Virginia Matheson.
GR was born in Cedar City, Utah, during the Great Depression. His father worked as a mechanic and held several odd jobs, including driving a tour bus through Utah’s national parks and herding sheep. GR had two younger brothers. Sadly, when GR was just five years old, his mother was hospitalized for mental illness following the birth of his youngest brother. As a result, his younger siblings were raised by other family members. It was a difficult childhood, but with resilience GR found comfort and joy in spending time with cousins and especially enjoyed playing down by the stream where they would swing into the water from a rope tied to a big cottonwood tree. When GR was ten, he and his father moved to Richfield, Utah. Soon after, his father remarried a woman who had a young daughter and a baby. In Richfield, GR enjoyed biking with friends out toward Glenwood to fish for catfish.
During high school, GR played the clarinet in the band and was active in Boy Scouts, particularly enjoying basketball, baseball, and camping. After graduating in 1950, he joined the National Guard and was positioned as a mess sergeant. His field artillery unit, the 213th—consisting of 600 men and led by Lt. Col. Frank Dalley—was called to active duty for the Korean War. Under Dalley’s exceptional leadership, all 600 men returned home safely—an extraordinary outcome given the war’s high casualty rate and the overwhelming odds against them in battle. Before deploying, GR purchased a camera, sparking a lifelong passion for photography. He captured many remarkable photos during his time in Korea, preserving powerful memories from that chapter of his life. After his military service, GR returned home, resumed working, and re-enrolled in classes at the College of Southern Utah. (Picture is of GR (front left) with his kitchen crew).
Virginia was raised in Parowan, Utah, where her father worked as a barber. Her brother, Charles, was just two years younger, and tragically when she was four her mom died from complications after giving birth to a second son who was then raised by an aunt. When Virginia was seven her father remarried and Virginia and Charles were then raised primarily by their grandmother and aunt. Some of her favorite childhood memories are from playing with Charles in their treehouse, with her friend who lived just a block away, and times their dad got them for Sunday afternoon drives. Her aunt worked at the local library, and Virginia often helped with cataloging and other tasks. It was there that she developed a deep love of books and reading. After graduating high school, Virginia attended the College of Southern Utah (then known as BAC), where she studied library science while working in the college library. She also learned to play the piano.
GR and Virginia’s paths first crossed in college while attending church events known as “socials” where there was a lesson followed by a dance. GR met his first wife Verna this way and together they double dated with Virginia who was good friends with Verna. Virginia also met her first husband, Robert through these socials.
GR and Verna were married in 1953 and soon moved to Logan, for GR to complete his degree in electrical engineering at Utah State University. After graduation, he accepted a job in southern California and moved to Pomona and later to Upland in which they raised their five children—four sons followed by a daughter. GR fell in love with water skiing after being taken out by a neighbor and bought a boat as soon as he was able. Most weekends were spent out on the water, creating lasting memories. Every summer, the family took a two-week road trip, eventually visiting every state west of the Rocky Mountains. They camped along the way, with the second half of each trip devoted to visiting family.
They had known that Verna had a weak heart but it was still an unexpected tragedy when she passed away suddenly in 1993 while traveling back from a trip to see her family. Losing Verna was the hardest thing that GR has been through as she was a wonderful wife and mother.
Virginia and Robert married in 1959 and also had five children; four sons followed by one daughter. They raised their kids in Orem and Virginia was able to stay at home to be with the kids while Robert worked at Lark Coal Mine. Later when her youngest was in school Virginia taught kindergarten and first grade in a local private school which loved very much. They loved traveling together as a family and had many adventures camping and sightseeing in different states and countries. They once drove to Alaska, and another time traveled to Europe where they were able to visit 10 different countries. For several years they spent Christmas in Mexico where they would go camping with a group and hand out candy canes while caroling on Christmas Eve.
Sometime after the kids were raised Virginia and Robert divorced. Virginia was able to then serve a proselyting mission on an Indian reservation in Charlotte, North Carolina. A few years later Virginia and GR began dating and 1997 got married the same day as one of GR’s sons. They have enjoyed these years together and have been able to go on several wonderful trips. They have been on a few cruises including an Alaskan cruise, and one to the Panama Canal, took a bus and antique train across Colorado, a luxury train through Canada.
GR’s hobbies have included running, rebuilding car engines, horseback riding, water skiing, and off-road motorcycling and jeeping (especially in his suzuki samurai). Some of his favorite foods are Roast and Halibut. GR was also known by his family for his love of butter since while raising his kids they knew that there was margarine for the family, but the butter was exclusively for their dad.
Virginia was very talented at sewing and made clothes for her children. She would take them shopping to see what styles they liked, then go home and create her own patterns so they could still have the looks they wanted. Later on, she worked as a seamstress at a bridal shop. Virginia loved crafting and enjoyed sharing her creativity with her children and grandchildren. She now has 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She has always loved going on walks, sugar cookies and one of her favorite foods is shrimp.
GR now has 22 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Of the 600 men in the 213th unit only GR and one other are alive today. When asked one of the most important lessons he has learned in life GR responded “Don’t get discouraged”. There were many hard times in GR’s life between being raised without his mother, sometimes being without work, and losing his wife, but he always knew no matter how bad things look, they would get better.
We are so glad to have GR and Virginia as friends living here with us! Their lives are beautiful examples of resilience and love through both joyful and challenging times!
