Jean Mathews, 94, Owatonna
On the morning of Thursday, December 1, 2022, Jean Marie (Habiger) Mathews passed away peacefully at the age of 94, the day after most of her family who live locally had the chance to say a final thank you and goodbye. Jean was born in Harvey, North Dakota on March 21, 1928. When Jean was a year old, her father Joseph died unexpectedly from a medical misdiagnosis. Jean’s mother Edith (Renchin) Habiger packed up her daughter and two older sons, Joe and Jim, and moved to Edith’s hometown of Owatonna, setting up a nurturing household along with Edith’s mother, Molly Renchin.
Jean attended St. Mary’s grade school and she was able to skip Kindergarten as her brother Jim taught her everything that he had learned from attending Kindergarten in the morning. She earned straight A’s from 6th grade through her graduation from Owatonna High School in 1945. She graduated from the College of Saint Teresa in Winona, MN in 1949, with a double major in mathematics and physics and a minor in English while achieving academic recognition as one of the Seven Fair Pillars. After graduation she embarked on a career as a high school teacher. She eventually became a “super sub” in the Owatonna and surrounding school districts, endearingly earning the nickname “Sarge,” all while being a homemaker to her growing family. During that time, when one or more of Jean’s six children asked her for some frivolous or unnecessary purchase, her favorite response was, “Sure, six of them,” and when one of her kids complained about something seemingly trivial, she’d say, “Offer it up.”
Jean married Paul A. Mathews, also of Owatonna, in 1951 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. After marrying, they returned to Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, CO, where Paul was stationed during the Korean War. Paul and Jean made lifelong friends during their time in Colorado. When they returned to Owatonna, Jean became active in church and community life. She joined Mrs. Jaycees, served on the Home & School Association at St. Mary’s/Marian High School as a member and an officer, was a loyal blood donor to the American Red Cross, and in later years was a participant in a study to find treatment for Dry Macular Degeneration. After she ended her 29 years as a teacher/substitute teacher, Jean worked at OTC Power Team for 13 years and then part-time at Jostens in retirement.
Jean was a devoted daughter to her mom “Habe,” stayed close to many grade school, high school and college classmates, loved to discuss the issues of the day in a phone conversation or over a cup of coffee with a neighbor, was a devout Catholic, loved to play bridge, and was an active, lifelong member of Sacred Heart Parish. She loved to travel with her family throughout the US by motorhome and beyond, she ventured to Europe with her husband, Paul, and later journeyed with her daughter, Sara, to the Czech Republic from which many of Jean’s ancestors emigrated.
Jean is survived by her children: Steven (Taryn) Mathews of Lubbock, TX, and their daughters Maia and Katia (Nick) Harrison; Michael (Moya) Mathews of Minneapolis, and their son Patrick (Madeline) Conway and great-grandchildren Edith and Silas; Peter (Ginny) Mathews of Minnetonka, and their daughter Amy (Matt) Teawalt; Ann (Robyn) Mathews-Lingen of St. Paul, and their daughters Emma and Claire; Daniel Mathews of St Louis Park, and his sons William and Benjamin; and Sara (Michael) Kunnick of Golden Valley. She is also survived by in-laws Joan Mathews, Angela (Mathews) Muller, Marilyn and Joe Ogas, Bob Mathews, 20 nieces and nephews, and many cousins. She was dearly loved and will be greatly missed.
Jean was preceded in death by her husband Paul A. Mathews, her parents, Joseph and Edith (Renchin) Habiger, in-laws Paul P. and Esther (Strand) Mathews, brothers Joseph and Msgr. James Habiger, sister-in-law Lorraine (Sahf) Habiger, brothers-in-law Jim Mathews and Albert Muller and daughter-in-law Amy (Ebersviller) Mathews.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Owatonna. Friends may greet the family one hour prior at 10 a.m. at the church. Interment will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery, Owatonna. The family would like to thank the staff at Heritage of Edina Care Community and the Allina Hospice Team for their loving care during Jean’s last years. Memorials are preferred to St Mary’s Catholic School, MCCL (MN Citizens Concerned for Life) or to the donor’s choice.
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