Mark Matthes was carried to his final resting place the way a Sheldon firefighter should be — on one of Sheldon Fire Co.’s iconic yellow fire engines.
The longtime member of the fire department died Oct. 1 after battling cancer for three and a half years.
“The loss of Mark is very close for us all,” said second assistant fire chief Scott Meinecke, who spoke to relatives, friends and Matthes’ extended family of firefighters at his funeral on Oct. 6.
Matthes, 66, died at his home in Sheldon surrounded by loved ones, who received a round of applause at the funeral in recognition of Matthes’ years of service. Matthes has been a member of the Sheldon Fire Co. since 1977.
“Thank you for your son, thank you for your husband, thank you for your father,” Meinecke said.
Matthes’ funeral was two years to the day after the funeral for longtime Sheldon fire chief Jerry Meyer. Matthes and Meyer served together for almost 40 years and were longtime friends.