Clara Jane Matthews was born August 22, 1920 in Shenandoah, Iowa to Erwin J. Gottsch and Jennie Ellen Dunnegan Gottsch. Dr. Gottsch had returned in June 1919 after serving in the First World War. He began his practice of general surgery at the new Hand Hospital where Clara Jane was born a year later. Three years later in 1923 she had a brother John Erwin and three years more a brother Joseph Christian.

Clara Jane felt she had a wonderful home to grow up in with highly-educatedparents who were good teachers as well as good disciplinarians. Clara Jane went through the Shenandoah school system, graduating in 1938. She spent a summer at the University of Iowa as a music student. She won first in a national vocal solo contest in April of 1938 where the judge was Nobal Cain, a well-respected choral director. She attended the University of Iowa in 1938 and 1939 where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. On June 12, 1940 she married David Sanborn Lake. They had an interesting life in enlarging and modernizing Lake's Shenandoah Nurseries. This was Shenandoah's first nursery, founded in 1870. Business and pleasure accounted formany trips about the country and the world. David died in 1972 of heart failure. Clara Jane kept the nursery going with the help of wonderful, loyal employees.

On January 25, 1974 Clara Jane and Dale Edward Matthews were married. Dale continued his accounting practice and Clara Jane the nursery until selling it in 1976. Since then she had remained active with personal business. She and Dale had an office beside the accounting practice he founded and then sold. Their union was a happy one that brought much joy to both. Neither had any idea it would last so many years. Dale and Clara Jane enjoyed traveling all over the world. They especially enjoyed the ancient world and climbing over archaeological sites.

Dale kept his life-long membership in the United Congregational Church and Clara Jane kept hers in the United Methodist Church. They shared a deeply religious belief and love of their church. Each had served in many capacities at their church.

Clara Jane was deeply committed to the welfare of her beloved Shenandoah. Her civic contributions had significant impact on the schools, library, hospital, and Country Club, to name a few. She was most proud of the scholarship program that she founded. The scholarship program will provide educational opportunities for Shenandoah graduates in perpetuity.

If Clara Jane was asked if she had a hobby, she would have said "travel." She had a genuine love for Shenandoah, Iowa, but say the word "go" and she was ready! Her first trip to Europe was in 1935 with her grandmother and mother-going on a ship as far east as Egypt and what was then Palestine. In 1938 she and her grandmother toured the British Isles. After World War II she continued more travel. She made it around the world three times and visited all the continents except Antarctica. Everything was interesting, most beautiful, and the people fascinating to her.

Yes, Clara Jane had a fine life. She passed away Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at her home in Shenandoah. She was said to be the very last survivor of her family, but she had nieces, nephews, and greats whom she loved dearly. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers and her first husband, David Lake. She is survived by her husband Dale Matthews; her sister-in-law Janet Gottsch, Kansas City, MO; her cousin Jennie Ellen Romohr, Gresham, NE; her nephews John D. Gottsch, Baltimore, MD; Daniel J. Gottsch, Ft Myers, FL; David J. Gottsch, Tampa, FL; James C. Gottsch, Kansas City, MO; John J. Gottsch, Spokane, WA; her nieces Jane Gottsch Sainsbury, Havelock, New Zealand; Brooks Gottsch Workman, Clearwater, FL, and sixteen great nephews and nieces.