Lawrence W. Matteson

Lawrence Wesley Matteson, 93, of Davenport, Iowa, passed away on October 18, 2023, at Ridgecrest Village. Born on January 3, 1930, in Burlington, Iowa, he was the son of Clarence LaByron and Beulah Fern (Diton) Matteson.

Funeral services will take place at 11:30 a.m., Monday October 23, 2023, at First Covenant Church, 3303 41st St., Moline, IL.  Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. prior to the service. In lieu of flowers contributions in memory of Lawrence may be made to Matteson Family Scholarship Fund c/o Keokuk Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 367, Keokuk, Iowa 52632 and Bethany for Children & Families, 1701 River Drive, Suite 200, Moline, IL, 61265.

He graduated from Fort Madison High School in 1948, where he served as Class President.  He excelled at playing football and received numerous Division 1 college scholarships but opted instead to stay at home to help his family farm their 100-year-old Lee County homestead in Wever, Iowa. Working beside his older brother, Eugene, they also trapped and cut timber along the Mississippi and Skunk Rivers.  In addition to farming, he sold insurance, worked at JI Case Company, Murray Ironworks, and worked on road construction operating heavy equipment.  He eventually worked at First Mississippi as a crane operator maintaining fertilizer containment ponds prior to beginning a successful career in marine construction and dredging in 1975.  In 1985, he purchased the P&D Harbor Service in Burlington, Iowa, and in 1996 he purchased the R&R harbor service of Oquawka, Illinois.

He formed L. W. Matteson, Inc., a maintenance and environmental dredging and levee construction company in Burlington, IA. He soon developed a reputation as an innovator. L. W. Matteson had one of the largest fleets of specialized portable dredging and earthmoving equipment on the inland river system. He built several large highway fills in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin for which he received the Wisconsin builder’s special achievement award.  With expertise in dredging, marine construction, environmental and habitat restoration the company became a highly respected contractor serving the upper Midwest, and the Mississippi river system.  In December 2010 the company was sold to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation.

Mr. Matteson, using the proceeds from the sale of his company, generously funded scholarships for 100s of southeast Iowa students and working adults at Southeastern Community College.  He also has contributed to many other charities over the past decades including Unity Point Trinity Health System, Mayo Clinic where he was recognized as a Philanthropic Partner, and Bethany for Children & Families in Moline.  He lived by the motto of “experience the joy of giving while living.”

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother; first wife, Donna Corman Tyner; stepson, Jim Sutty; and stepdaughter, Judy Stitt.

Survivors include his loving wife of 40 years, Marilyn; children including son, Larry (Mary Lee) Matteson of Burlington, IA, daughter, Diane (John) Meister, Columbia City, IN; sister-in-law, Ruth Matteson and step son-in-law, Craig Stitt; seven grandchildren, Melissa (Dan) Lueth, Taylor Matteson, Scott Meister, Eric Meister, Annie (Brian) Niccolai, Erin (Christopher) Schneck and John Stitt; and eleven great grandchildren, Blake Lueth, Milo and Clive Matteson, Milla and Taitum Wilson, Landon Grace Niccolai, Merideth and Dylan Schneck, James and Elizabeth Stitt, and Ember Lopez.

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