Matthew Meinert, formerly of Benton

BENTON – Matthew Christian Meinert, 38, of Trophy Club, Texas, formerly of Benton and Christopher, died in a boating accident on March 6, 2017.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Autumn; son, Oliver; mother, Susan Waggoner and stepfather David of Springfield; father, Chris Meinert and stepmother Paula of Christopher; brother, Michael and sister-in-law Vanessa of Benton; stepsister, Brook White and husband Ric of Fort Mill, South Carolina; father-in-law, Don Williams and stepmother-in-law Darlene of Fairbanks, Alaska; mother-in-law, Stephanie Dupree of Sulphuric Springs, Texas; nieces; and a nephew.

Matthew will be remembered as a loving husband, father, son and brother. He was a fierce and loyal friend, meeting no stranger, with a heart as big as Texas.

In the words of his family, "Our hearts will forever feel the loss of our sweet Matthew from this world, but we will feel forever grateful for the blessing of his presence in our lives."

A celebration of life gathering will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at Rend Lake Golf Course banquet hall with a memorial tribute at 3:30.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of choice or directly to the family.