delivering sermons through his college years. After graduating, he stepped into the pulpit full-time at the age of 21.
Dan met Diane while they were in college. They married in August of 1970. After graduation, Diane became a school teacher. During Matthewâs childhood, the family moved from state to state, following a trail of pulpit positions. They moved from Fort Worth to Greenville, Texas, a small city northeast of Dallas, in the Blackland Prairie. Then to Woodbury, Tennessee, a small town southeast of Nashville, situated halfway between Murfreesboro and McMinnville. When Matthew was 5 years old, the family grew by one more boy, Jacob.
Then Dan moved on to the Huntingdon Church of Christâin a town a little more than an hourâs drive from Selmer. Matthew attended sixth and seventh grades, and played football at Huntingdon Middle School before Dan accepted a position at the Beltline Church of Christ, and the family moved to Decatur, Alabama, the seat of Montgomery County, on October 6, 1988.
Decatur is perched on a hill overlooking the Tennessee River. It began its life as Rhodes Ferry, named after the crossing established in the 1810s. Incorporated as Albany in 1821, a directive issued by President James Monroe changed its name to honor Stephen Decatur, renowned United States Navy commander, who was killed in a duel.
During the civil war, Yankee troops burned the city to the groundâonly three buildings survived the conflagration. The city rose from the ashes despite the additional decimation caused by two yellow fever plagues. From that building spurt, the town now boasts the most intact Victorian-era neighborhood in Alabama.
Like Maryâs hometown of Knoxville, Decatur was nestled on the Tennessee River, and benefited from President Rooseveltâs creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Dan assumed his new position as pulpit minister for Beltline Church of Christ, a well-established congregationâthey had their first service under a big oak tree in 1931. Under Danâs leadership, the church grew, reaching 425 members, and built a new activity center with offices, work-rooms, fellowship rooms, a benevolent area and several classrooms.
Matthew enrolled at Austin High School and played on the football team as an outside linebacker on defense, and fullback on offense. All three of the Winkler boys played football. Dan and Diane told each one of them to exercise their force on the field, but to always remember there were different expectations elsewhere. âBe nothing but a gentleman off the field.â They believed all of their sons lived up to this ideal. They never saw any evidence that Matthew was emotionally or physically abusive to anyone.
His football coach, Dyer Carlisle, told reporter Tonya Smith-King of The Jackson Sun that the two older brothers were both hard-nosed players. Matt trained all summer long lifting weights to be the best player he could be. âThe only difference between Daniel and Matthew, Matthew was more, probably more spirited. Daniel was even-keeled. And I mean this in a positive way, but Matthew, he would really get fired up. I mean, he really got into the game, he was very emotionalâ¦
âHe was very passionate. As coaches, that was a good thingâ¦Matthew was one of our best hitters. He was just pretty much a coachâs dream to work withâ¦I could see him maybe having a temper, but the only time I ever saw it was in relation to getting fired up about a game. He was a really tough-minded kid on the football fieldâ¦â but ââ¦he left it all on the field. He didnât bring it into the locker room or the community.â
The coach also appreciated his star playerâs parents. âEven when things werenât going well with the team, letâs say, they were always positive and always supportive. They were just the ideal parents to work with.â
In addition to football, Matthew liked swimming, going to
Dan met Diane while they were in college. They married in August of 1970. After graduation, Diane became a school teacher. During Matthewâs childhood, the family moved from state to state, following a trail of pulpit positions. They moved from Fort Worth to Greenville, Texas, a small city northeast of Dallas, in the Blackland Prairie. Then to Woodbury, Tennessee, a small town southeast of Nashville, situated halfway between Murfreesboro and McMinnville. When Matthew was 5 years old, the family grew by one more boy, Jacob.
Then Dan moved on to the Huntingdon Church of Christâin a town a little more than an hourâs drive from Selmer. Matthew attended sixth and seventh grades, and played football at Huntingdon Middle School before Dan accepted a position at the Beltline Church of Christ, and the family moved to Decatur, Alabama, the seat of Montgomery County, on October 6, 1988.
Decatur is perched on a hill overlooking the Tennessee River. It began its life as Rhodes Ferry, named after the crossing established in the 1810s. Incorporated as Albany in 1821, a directive issued by President James Monroe changed its name to honor Stephen Decatur, renowned United States Navy commander, who was killed in a duel.
During the civil war, Yankee troops burned the city to the groundâonly three buildings survived the conflagration. The city rose from the ashes despite the additional decimation caused by two yellow fever plagues. From that building spurt, the town now boasts the most intact Victorian-era neighborhood in Alabama.
Like Maryâs hometown of Knoxville, Decatur was nestled on the Tennessee River, and benefited from President Rooseveltâs creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Dan assumed his new position as pulpit minister for Beltline Church of Christ, a well-established congregationâthey had their first service under a big oak tree in 1931. Under Danâs leadership, the church grew, reaching 425 members, and built a new activity center with offices, work-rooms, fellowship rooms, a benevolent area and several classrooms.
Matthew enrolled at Austin High School and played on the football team as an outside linebacker on defense, and fullback on offense. All three of the Winkler boys played football. Dan and Diane told each one of them to exercise their force on the field, but to always remember there were different expectations elsewhere. âBe nothing but a gentleman off the field.â They believed all of their sons lived up to this ideal. They never saw any evidence that Matthew was emotionally or physically abusive to anyone.
His football coach, Dyer Carlisle, told reporter Tonya Smith-King of The Jackson Sun that the two older brothers were both hard-nosed players. Matt trained all summer long lifting weights to be the best player he could be. âThe only difference between Daniel and Matthew, Matthew was more, probably more spirited. Daniel was even-keeled. And I mean this in a positive way, but Matthew, he would really get fired up. I mean, he really got into the game, he was very emotionalâ¦
âHe was very passionate. As coaches, that was a good thingâ¦Matthew was one of our best hitters. He was just pretty much a coachâs dream to work withâ¦I could see him maybe having a temper, but the only time I ever saw it was in relation to getting fired up about a game. He was a really tough-minded kid on the football fieldâ¦â but ââ¦he left it all on the field. He didnât bring it into the locker room or the community.â
The coach also appreciated his star playerâs parents. âEven when things werenât going well with the team, letâs say, they were always positive and always supportive. They were just the ideal parents to work with.â
In addition to football, Matthew liked swimming, going to
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