Rev. John Mattson

John Matt Mattson was born May 8, 1933, the son of William and Selma Aho Mattson. He passed away Sunday, December 18, 2011, at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of seventy-eight.
John was born in Ironwood, Michigan, and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School with the class of 1950. He earned his Bachelor of Theology Degree from Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois, and continued his studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and also Trinity Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.
John married Gwen Brandt in 1960 in Painseville, Ohio, and to this union was blessed with two children. Gwen passed away in 1968. He married Darlene Tech on June 19, 1971, in Rochester, Michigan, and to this union two children were born.
Rev. Mattson was a Vicar at Grace Lutheran Church in Thompson, Ohio; served as founding pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Painsville, Ohio; served as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Omro, Wisconsin, and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Fairport Harbor, Ohio; and returned to St. Paul Lutheran in Painsville where he retired in 1998 and was currently serving as Pastor Emeritis. Rev. Mattson received the Servus Ecclesiae Christi award for "effective ministry among Gods people in todays world." He served for over 50 years in Pastoral Ministry. He enjoyed traveling, reading, working in his woodworking shop, fishing, hunting, and sports - especially baseball.
Rev. Mattson was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Gwen; four brothers: Kenneth, Carl, Robert, and Laverne; and three sisters: Eleanor, Eileen, and Evelyn. He is survived by his wife, Darlene; two daughters, Naomi and her husband, Tim; and Sarah; two sons, Philip, Sr., and Mark; five grandchildren: Noah, Jonah, Randi, Philip, Jr., and Rylee; two brothers, Glen and William, Jr.; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.