Martha Deever Matteson, Class of 1964

Martha Deever Matteson ‘64 died Feb. 20, 2019. She was born in Dayton, Ohio to Josephine Stoner ‘30 and Philip Deever ‘34 on Sept. 4, 1942. Martha graduated from Westerville High School in 1960 and
Otterbein in 1964 with a degree in education.

During her time at Otterbein she was active in choir, quiz and quill, and a member of Theta Nu sorority. In 1963, Martha married theological student Mervyn Matteson ‘60 and taught first grade in Dayton Public Schools for two years while he completed seminary. Together they served United Methodist churches across Ohio including Dayton, Moline, Woodville. In 1984, Martha answered her own call into the ministry, graduating from Dayton’s United Theological Seminary in 1987 with her Master’s degree of Divinity, and served Broadway, Pataskala, and Deerfield United Methodist churches. Martha authored hundreds of haiku, which she published in 2010, Haiku From My Journey. She also authored a parenting book called Instructions
Not Included. Over her life Martha was a vocal advocate for children, social justice, women clergy, and the LGBTQ community.

She is survived by her husband of over 55 years, Mervyn Matteson ‘60; brothers, David ‘61 and Thomas Deever; her children, Mara, Miriam, Michael, and Matthew; grandchildren, Paris, AJ, and Maya Matteson and Samuel and Cecilia Garcia; cousin, Kathryn Moody-Arndt ’69; nephew, John P. Deever ’90; and niece, Amy Deever Todd ’95.