Matzkes honored at Seward Rotary

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“He’s the first one in our Rotary Club!” said longtime Rotarian Clark Kolterman when introducing Charles “Chuck” Matzke, at the Rotary luncheon at the Seward Civic Center Feb. 10.

The club honored Matzke for 50 years of continuous membership in the Seward Rotary Club.

“The Seward Rotary Club was established in 1925 and this is the club’s 96th year of existence, but we believe, and according to our records, Chuck Matzke has the honor of being the first member in the Seward Rotary Club to achieve the honor of 50 years of continuous membership in our Seward Rotary Club,” Kolterman said

Matzke joined the Seward Rotary Club, nominated and sponsored by his employer, Tom Wake, Jr., when both were working at the Jones Bank in Seward. Matzke joined the Seward Rotary Club on Feb. 1, 1971, and has even more years with the Rotary organization, as he was a Rotarian at his previous employment in Pawnee City, as well.

Matzke and his wife, Jan, moved to Seward in 1970 to work as a loan officer at the Jones Bank in Seward. He served as the president of the Seward Rotary during the 1978-1979 Rotary Club year and has held almost every office in the organization and served on almost all of the committees.

He has lived the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” and continues to volunteer and assist with club projects. He is proud to be awarded the Rotary International Paul Harris award.

His most recent Rotary Club passion is the Rotary Club Dictionary Literacy Project, where he and his wife travel county wide, handing out free Webster Dictionaries to area third graders on behalf of Rotary. They usually made special dictionary presentations, but because of the pandemic, the books could only be delivered to the school offices this year.

They have also hosted numerous Rotary International Group Study Exchange members from many countries across the globe and keep in contact with many of them. In 2019, they participated in the Rotary Club Sister City Exchange at St. Lo, France, bringing the two clubs into Sister Club status.

Matzke also served as the Rotary Chair for the Zambia project of Rotary International, raising funds locally to support the efforts of Rotary in Zambia.

Matzke was born and raised in Seward, attended St. John Lutheran school through third grade and then moved with his family to Lincoln. His family then moved to Hastings and he graduated from Hastings High and began college at Hastings College. He eventually transferred to the University of Nebraska and graduated from UNL.

He is the youngest child of the late, former State Senator Stan Matzke and his wife Pauline, with two older brothers and one sister. He and Jan have three sons, Bill, Tom and Jeff, three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren. In June, the Matzkes will have been married 57 years.

Matzke was first hired to be a loan officer at Jones Bank, eventually achieving the position of president of the Jones Bank, retiring after 25 years in the position. While at the bank he was a member of the Nebraska Banker’s Association and President of the Nebraska Chapter of the American Institute of Banking.

His wife Jan, was a longtime Seward Elementary and Middle School teacher for the School District of Seward and is also retired.

His volunteer efforts do not stop with Rotary, as he has been very involved with a host of community and civic causes over the years of residence in Seward. Matzke was the president of the Seward Chamber of Commerce in 1974, serving on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for decades, as well as the Seward Community Development Corporation Board and being that board’s president for many years, helping attract new industry to Seward.

He is proud to point out that he promoted and organized the first Rural Water District in Nebraska in the Greater Pawnee City area, which assisted in eliminating many health issues of the area. He has also served on the local Natural Resources District Board.

The Matzkes were major funding co-chairs of the Seward Memorial Library Building Campaign and responsible for directing several major donors to assist in the development of the funds to build the library facility enjoyed today.

They were also active leaders in the consolidation and development of the new Seward Memorial Health Care Facility and funding co-chairs for the new Memorial Health Care Clinic - instrumental in seeing the facility raise the needed funds. He served as a member of the Seward Planning Commission for many years and was a member of the Seward City Council for four years from 1986-1990. Matzke currently serves as a member of the Seward Tree Board.

He and his wife enjoy membership in and are past presidents of the Seward Magazine Club and were very active and involved parents with all three sons and their school activities, as well as supporting the summer sports programs and events during their boys’ years in the Seward School system.

The Matzkes are longtime members of the Seward United Methodist Church in Seward and have served, often in leadership positions, such as president of the Administrative Board and Foundation Board and on numerous other boards and committees to assist the church’s many missions and projects. He chaired the funding campaign for the Southeast Nebraska Scholarship fund and currently serves as one of the volunteers for the local Seward “Meals-On-Wheels” program.

Matzke served in the Nebraska National Guard in the early 1960’s as a member of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, second Battalion. 134th Infantry Regiment as an infantry officer. He was honorably discharged from the National Guard and he currently serves on the Nebraska National Guard Historical Society Board. The Matzkes have been instrumental in raising over $550,000 to fund exhibits and projects at the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward.

They were recently honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Nebraska National Guard by Major Gen. Daryl Bohac for the National Guard Association, acknowledging the commitment of the Matzkes to the Nebraska National Guard Museum since 2015.

While the number one hobby now of both Matzkes is to support the many activities of their seven grandchildren, they both also enjoy their hobby and passion to grow beautiful roses in their rose gardens located on the corner of Seward Street and Columbia Avenue and hold membership in the Lincoln Rose Society. In support of conservation, over the years they have planted hundreds of trees at their farm near Milford. Matzke also enjoys the hobby of woodworking, with many projects a testimonial to his expertise.

Matzke was honored by the Seward Rotary Club with mementos to commemorate his 50th anniversary of membership with the Seward Rotary Club by the Seward Rotary Club President Brady Johnson. Matzke reminisced over his five decades in Seward Rotary and thanked the Rotary Club members and family present for the anniversary celebration -- stating that ”he looked forward to many more years of service to others.”

Letters of congratulations were read from Rotary District Governor Roxy Orr and longtime friends of Chuck and Jan who were unable to attend the recognition. Special tributes and salutes were also presented to Chuck and the Rotary from fellow longtime Rotarians Ken Schmieding and Max Wake. The special day concluded with a commemorative cutting and sharing of his 50th Rotary Membership Anniversary in Seward Rotary Club Celebration cake to all present and a singing of “For He’s A Jolly Old Fellow!”