During long car rides, a young Joy Matthiessen knew she was in Des Plaines when she saw the mesmerizing copper dome of the now-demolished Earle House.
The Chicago native would return to Des Plaines later in life to safeguard its’ history, fight to preserve buildings of yesteryear and lead the local history center for 22 years.
Matthiessen died in the early morning of Aug. 3 in her Chicago home after an eight-year battle with breast cancer. She was 60 years old.
“I think she had an appreciation for all of Des Plaines,” said Shari Caine, the newly-appointed executive director of the center who knew Matthiessen for over a decade. “She was very interested in Des Plaines’ agricultural past, development and how Des Plaines changed over the years.”
Joy Matthiessen first began her role as director at the Des Plaines History Center in 1989. (Photo provided by Des Plaines History Center)
A lifelong Girl Scout, Matthiessen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from Roosevelt University and later a master’s degree in historical administration from Eastern Illinois University.
She interned at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan as well as the Missouri Historical Society. She returned to the Chicago area and briefly worked for the Arlington Heights Museum in the collections department.
In 1989, Matthiessen was hired as the executive director for the Des Plaines History Center, which was then based in the Kinder House Museum. As soon as she started, she brought a level of professionalism to the organization by hiring staff with training in collections, curation, museum exhibits and programs, among other things, Caine said.
Besides her passion for history, Matthiessen loved photography, symbolism on tombs and gravestones, as well as “The Wizard of Oz.” The popular movie inspired the former director to hold two Oz exhibits at the center — one featured Donna Stewart-Hardway, who played a munchkin.
During her free time, Matthiessen hunted down vintage postcards with photos of Des Plaines and traveled from postcard show to postcard show to buy the mementos. The cards were compiled and published in a book titled “Greetings from Des Plaines, Illinois: A Community History through Postcards.”
Eight years ago, Matthiessen was diagnosed with breast cancer, which later spread throughout her body.
“Even when things would get rough, she would bounce back,” Caine said. “She had a strong will.”
In April, she was given a two-week prognosis from her doctors, but rebounded and attended the center’s annual meeting the following month in good spirits. Shortly after, things took a turn for the worse, friends said.
“It was something she enjoyed,” Caine said of Matthiessen’s work at the history center. “We all admired how she handled herself through it all.”
A memorial service is being planned in her honor in Des Plaines and funeral services are pending. A homage to Matthiessen can be found in the center’s recent edition of the Cobweb.
