Odis Arnold Matthews

December 22, 1928 - August 25, 2020

A private family service will be held for Odis Arnold Matthews at John Kramer & Son Funeral Home officiated by Kurt Ryder. A graveside burial will be held at 3pm on Thursday, September 3, 2020, at Alexandria Memorial Gardens. The graveside service will be open to anyone who would like to give a brief remembrance of Arnold’s life. We will also be making a toast to his memory with of course his favorite drink....Old Charter. Odis Arnold Matthews was born on December 22, 1928 in Simsboro, Louisiana. He chose to start his family and settle down in Alexandria, Louisiana. He was called to his final home on August 25, 2020. He is preceded in death by his parents, Marvin and Ruby Matthews; the love of his life, his beautiful wife of over 50 years, Della Matthews and his son, Dewayne Matthews. Odis, known by most everyone as Arnold, spent his life hard at work. He worked at Grandma's Catfish House, Lacey Cattle Company, W.H. Hodges and Dominic Livestock. But his true joy was in the people he surrounded himself with. Arnold loved his kids, adored his grandkids and treasured his great grandchildren. He was well known all over Louisiana and especially in his local community. Every morning you could find him having breakfast at Brocato's with his friends and many evenings he was out on the town with his grandkids. Arnold was full of stories and memories that he loved to share with any listening ear, his favorite being the one about how he met Della and how she was wearing his favorite color the night he met her, red. His loves in life included Della, his family, his work, the rodeo and Old Charter Whiskey. With a work ethic and spirit like none other, up until he got sick, he was still making trips to the sale barn and making a point to regularly gathering together with his family. He and Della loved travelling to Las Vegas to the National Finals Rodeo and then all over to watch their kids and grandkids in the rodeo. Arnold was a rare kind of man. A true cowboy. A devoted husband. The most loving Paw-Paw. He will be missed dearly by all those left to cherish his memory and all the stories he left behind. Those memories of PawPaw will be held close in the hearts of his son Randy (Liz); his grandchildren, Dustin (Kelly), Lynzee, Justin (Alanna Perkins), and Ashlee Matthews; great grandchildren, Brennan and Lane; niece Jeannie Stewart (Mack) great niece Jerrilyn Vaughn (West) and mother of Justin & Ashlee, Vicki Matthews. Pallbearers will be Dustin Matthews, Justin Matthews, Bill Dodge, Bubba Dunn, Greg Pharis, Dewayne Ginn. Honorary pallbearers will be Sam Brocato, Paul Hodges, Dennis Rector and Barry Lewis, Ray Philen and Jim Brown. In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.