R-CA Treasury of John J. Roark Distinguished Service Award Recipients
Carrol Glen Mathews
2009 — John J. Roark Award Recipient
March 9, 1935 – August 13, 2016
The Roark-Conner Association (R-CA) is paying tribute to Carrol Glen Mathews. In 2009, Carrol received the highest honor bestowed by the R-CA — the John J. Roark Distinguished Service Award for his exemplary service.
Beginning in about 1997, Carrol and his wife Jenna were strong supporters of the R-CA. They attended family reunion regularly and in June 1999, Carrol agreed to take on the job as Treasurer from Willa Moon Eslick who felt it necessary to step down. This involved keeping finances and membership organized and up-to-date. Activities included collecting, recording, and reporting on annual dues, reunion registrations, donations, and payments for books. As Treasurer, Carrol encouraged renewal of memberships. He also recruited Mildred Buie and Forrest Shropshire to make further contacts to renew memberships. The response was not only an increase in paid memberships, but generous financial contributions to various Association projects. The effort was so successful that in 2004, the R-CA had in excess of 325 member families in the Association.
Carrol and Jenna also served as registrars for the family reunions for a number of years beginning in 1999. They were known for pleasantly greeting attendees and passing out information packets and general information with a smile! In 2000, they prepared packages for reunion attendees which included a lovely lapel pen that depicted the name of our Association and the date 1959, a monogrammed writing pen, a roster of the names and addresses of the members, and minutes of the business meeting. Carrol served as Treasurer until 2012, when Carroll and Jenna relinquished the duties of Treasurer and Registrar into the competent hands of Bill and Mary Witt.
Along with a number of other R-CA members, Carrol and Jenna participated in a number of Cemetery Cleanup Days, organized by Chuck Gross, during the 1990’s. In 2002 Carrol had special Roark-Conner commemorative watches made available for purchase by R-CA members. Through the years, Carrol and Jenna also made donations to the Heritage and General Funds in memory of family members. Jenna said that Carrol truly loved and enjoyed the R-CA. He greeted and visited with attendees, and he loved meeting new cousin-in-laws even though they were her relatives!!
Carrol and his wife Jenna were married on October 22, 1949. Jenna’s parents were Alva Blair and Leroy Simpson, and her grandparents were Senia Virginia Witt and John L. Blair. Her great grandparents were Martha Jane Conner and Silas Witt, and her gg grandparents were Martha Palmer and Maximilian Haney Conner. Carrol and Jenna had 3 sons, Steve and his wife Carol, Kent and his wife Susie, Thomas and his wife Kat; and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Carrol passed away at the age of 86, on August 13, 2016. He was born on March 9, 1930 to Archie and Carmella Mathews. In 1947, he had graduated from Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth. Carrol attended Texas Christian University and worked for 15 years for the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad. He was also the Executive Vice President for the Fort Worth Grain Exchange for 53 years. Carrol loved fishing, travel, western heritage and hot sauce.
Jenna passed away at the age of 92, on December 7, 2022.