User:Matthews47421

Dennis Eugene Matthews (January 4, 1959) Bloomington, Indiana Historian was born "in the old part" of the Bloomington Hospital. Parents were Noble Eugene "Gene" Matthews (1917 - 1977) and Anna Lee (McKinney) Matthews (1920 - 1983). Gene was born in Greencastle, Indiana and served in World War Two in the Us Army Signal Corps as a Staff Sergeant (1943 - 1946) and was awarded the Purple Heart. After the war he went into the Insurance business. Cox & Matthews served Putnam County from 1947 to 1953. afterwards he founded Matthews Insurance (1953 to 1958). He served in the Army National Guard Infantry as a 2nd Lieutenant from 1947 to 1951. While at the Bloomington Moose Lodge in 1958 he met and later married Anna Lee McKinney. From 1968 to 1975 Gene served Monroe County with Peoples Tax & Bookkeeping on the south side of the square, located at 119 1/2 West Kirkwood. Dennis graduated from Bloomington High School North in 1978, and attended Ivy Tech College until 1980. From 1988 to 1992 Dennis voluntered with the Middle Way House Shelter. Along with the Area Arts Council, VITAL Reading Program and Monroe County Museum. Dennis was awarded the Community Service Council's Award in 1990. Dennis served in the Army National Guards HHB 2-150th FA from 1992 to 2000 as a Specialist, among his awards was the Army Achievement Medal, and the Army Reserve Commendation Achievment Medal. Dennis married Theresa G. Reynolds of Oolitic, Indiana on December 29, 1994 and have one son, Travis Eugene Matthews born December 27, 1994. His books on the history of Monroe County and Bloomington can be found at the Indiana Room of the Monroe County Public Library and the Monroe County History Center. He has made a model of the first log cabin courthouse which was built in 1818, along with a sketch of the courthouse he had commisioned. In 2013 Dennis along with his son Travis attended IVY Tech Community College in Bloomington, Indiana. The Matthews family currently live in Bedford, Indiana.