Ernest Paul Matuschka

Dr. Ernest Matuschka died on March 29, 2024 at Sun Lakes, Arizona. He was the son of the Rev. Milton and Edna (Petermann) Matuschka. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on November 22, 1929 and moved with his parents at the age of three months to Bertrand, Nebraska where he spent a happy childhood. He attended all twelve years of public school at Bertrand. He was active in athletics where he lettered in football, basketball and track. He attended Kearney State College graduating with a BA degree in 1951. He then entered the United States Air Force as a private and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1952. He was transferred to the USAF Reserve and retired as a Major. He was a Korean War veteran.

After his separation from active duty, he taught in Kirk, Colorado and then attended the University of Northern Colorado where he received his Master’s degree. He was a member of Phi Delta Kappa. Then he taught in Rialto, California for eight years also coached football and track. In 1963 he was a counselor and taught psychology at Paris American High School in Paris, France. The next two years he served as the Director of Guidance in Mannheim, Germany. The family returned to the United States, and he earned a PhD at the University of North Dakota. In 1970, he accepted a professorship at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and retired in 1990 having spent 39 years in the field of education. In 1994, they began a new adventure of “snowbirding” in Arizona, moving full time to Sun Lakes in 2010.

He was married to Verla Lee Smith on September 16, 1951 and to this union four children were born.

He is survived by his wife Verla, son Paul (Cheryl), their children Jordan, Cole, Carolyn, and David; son Mark, his children Aaron (Catie), Jimmy, and Mikki (Logan) Mitchell; daughter Diane Matuschka; and daughter Laurie Grassmeyer, her sons Ryan and Kyle (Jen). Also, eight great grandchildren and a host of relatives, friends and former students.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Kathleen Shirk and her husband Everett, brothers-in-law Spencer Griffith, Spencer Fox, Darell Smith, Darrel Meyer, and sister-in laws Lenore Fox, Merna Smith, and daughter-in law Christy Matuschka.

He lived a full life pursuing many different interests. He wrote four books on family history and wrote four historical novels with a friend in Kentucky. He recently published a book on Haiku and Poetry. He also translated a book from German to English,

He will be buried at Ft. McPherson Military Cemetery near North Platte, Nebraska with full military honors on a date to be announced later. In lieu of flowers please donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Risen Savior Foundation.