Hugh MATERN

MATERN, KAUFMANN, ELLIS, JASPER, BAKER, VARLEY, LITTRELL, HARMON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/6/2009 at 09:39:29

March 4, 1926 --- March 11, 2009

Hugh Matern, 83, maintenance worker, veteran, carpenter

Hugh Matern was born in Wesley, Iowa, on March 4, 1926, the son of Louis and Minnie (Kaufmann) Matern. He grew up with five brothers and sisters on farms in the Wesley and Algona area and graduated from Algona High School in 1943. He volunteered for the U.S. Navy in 1943, and was subsequently trained as a Radioman in the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Ill. He then served aboard the USS Ranger, an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Theater of World War II, for the remainder of that war. Upon returning home from the war in 1945, he was working at several jobs in the Algona area when he met and fell in love with Lillian Harmon. They were married on September 2, 1950, at St Cecelia’s Church in Algona. They raised their children in several southern Minnesota towns while he worked as a carpenter in the construction trades. In 1972, they moved to Eagle Grove, Iowa. He worked first for Boone Valley and then Farmland Industries as a maintenance supervisor until his retirement in 1991. He loved his large family and loved spending time with them. He also had many friends in Eagle Grove and elsewhere and always enjoyed keeping up with them and current events around town. His talent and skill as a carpenter and craftsman are evident in his many handcrafted pieces of furniture, as well as the many detailed scale models of wooden ships and steam engines on display in his family’s and friend’s homes.

He was an active member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He also was a lifetime VFW member, was interested in collecting firearms and had a fine collection of tools he used in his wood and metal working hobbies.

Hugh Matern died at home with his family in Eagle Grove on March 11, 2009. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, one brother and his son, Peter Matern. Survivors include his wife, Lillian Matern, of Eagle Grove; eight children: Christine (Dan) Ellis of Eyota, Minn., Mark (Martha) Matern of Blaine, Minn., Elizabeth (Tom) Jasper of Sherman Oaks, Calif., Catherine Littrell of Park View, Iowa, Rosemary (Mike) Baker of Humboldt, Iowa, Rebecca (Doug) Varley of Dubuque, Iowa, Matthew Matern of Eagle Grove, David (Mun) Matern of Park View, Iowa; as well as twenty-one grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m., at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Eagle Grove with Father Nils Hernandez celebrating. Burial was held in Calvary Cemetery in Eagle Grove. Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family. Foust Funeral Home of Eagle Grove was in charge of arrangements.

Eagle Grove Eagle -- Eagle Grove, IA
18 March 2009