Henry “Hank” Matter
Henry “Hank” August Matter, 84, of Polson, MT passed away on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 in Polson.
Hank was born on May 29, 1925 in Everett, WA a son of the late August and Johanna Hobbelink Matter. He was a military veteran who proudly served his county during WWII in 1942 and afterwards became a truck driver. In 1974, Hank married Geneva “Cookie” Aldrich in Missoula, MT.
He was a member of the Elks, Lodge #2592 in Green Valley and was also the president of the Home Owners Association in Green Valley for three years. Hank enjoyed Rving, travelling, visiting friends and family, and watching the Mariners baseball games.
Hank never met a stranger and was a wonderful husband and father. He will be missed by all of us.
Besides his loving wife, Geneva, he is survived by a daughter, Kathy Clark; five sons, Barry, John, Jim, and Tony Matter and Ben Aldrich; three sisters, Corky Drost, Phyllis Slayer, and Joyce Bernard; one brother, Jim Beuzenberg, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren too numerous to mention.
Funeral services will take place on Saturday, April 24, 2010, 2:00 PM at Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson. Military honors will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com. The staff of Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory, Polson, considers it a privilege to care for Mr. Matter’s family.
April 22, 2010
Dear Cookie:
We are deeply sorry to hear of the loss of your husband and dear friend. I am quite confident he is walking and feeling much better now. As all prayers are for the living, know that Hank is living and will be in our prayers always until we meet again.
Blessings,
Sam Marshall & Family (including Jacob)
Cookie, We are so sad to hear about Hank. We are all still in shock. Please know that we are thinking of you at this difficult time. We wish we could be there with you, but we just can’t leave the store. Hank will be greatly missed by all of us. Take care of yourself Cookie.
Love, Darlene and Terri.
Cookie,
We are very sorry for your loss. Hank was a wonderful man and we always looked forward to seeing him. I know he is watching over you. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Jamie & Doug at Western MT O&P
sorry to hear about your dad, was in the paper this morn, was shocked, let me know if there is anything i can do
Cookie,
I heard the unexpected news and want to say how deeply sorry I am. It was unexpected, which makes it even harder on those of us who share your grief.
I hope that the outpouring of support you are receiving is some consolation at this time.
You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
–Jessica
Cookie, Jim, John, Tony and family….so sorry to have heard this saddening news.
However, I’m sure he is looking down and smiling at u. May God bless and comfort you.
Vicki and Jim
We are so sorry to hear of Henry’s passing. Bob was a nurse at St. Pat’s on 5 West and took care of Henry on several occasions. He was a wonderful man, great sense of humor and an inspiration. Bob remembers once as he was working on cleaning Henry’s wound that Henry let out a great bellow. Bob jumped back from the bed thinking he was causing pain, and looking up, saw Henry laughing! He did love a good joke! He will be missed.
Cookie,
I am sorry for your loss. Hank was my best friend when I lived in Montana. Hank was a very good man and I loved him.
Molly Baird
Cookie,
‘
We are sorry for your loss of Hank. He truly will be missed by our family especially by our little Molly. Their relationship was a special one. Molly loved Hank but more importantly she knew that Hank loved her. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.
Brian, Jalynn, Maddy, Moriah, Mallory, Maisie, Max and Molly Baird
Cookie, Butch and I are so sorry to hear of Hank’s death. He will be missed by all of us. Hugs and kisses to you. Love, Loralee
Dear Geneva: So sorry to hear about Hank’s passing. I have wondered about you so often through the years and wondered where you were. I’m still in Missoula and just last night talked with Bill Antonich and we reminisced about Mountain Press Days. Would love to visit with you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Sheri Larson
The following invocation prayer was presented by Sam Marshall at the funeral of Hank Matter, April 24, 2010.
Dear Father In Heaven, we offer you this prayer today:
Thank you for surrounding Cookie with care, love and friendship during this most difficult time.
You offered your Only Begotten Son for the redemption of the world. Through this process of redemption incredible suffering was undertaken by your Son Jesus. Through this process your Son Jesus told us to pick up our crosses daily and follow Him, who is Truth itself. While redemptive suffering is a mystery, you asked us to unite our suffering with that of your Son on the Cross.
You told us that our souls are immortal and that we will live forever. You asked us to pray for each other unceasingly. Today and always we offer our prayers for Hank and for all who have gone before us, that eternal light will shine upon Hank and all who have gone before us.
Hank gracefully suffered, Lord. He selflessly served his country. He never met a stranger. While seeing Hank out walking we knew that this was difficult for him but nevertheless he always displayed a beautiful smile and a kind “hello.” Today we unite our suffering to your Son’s suffering on the cross for the benefit of Hank. We pray that you will welcome Hank into your heavenly kingdom.
We also pray today for consolation for Cookie and the family. Clearly they will miss Hank. Please console them with the understanding that Hank is alive and that they, too, will meet again. Please console them in every way as they continue their journey toward Heaven.
Thank you, Father. We praise, honor and glorify your name. Amen.
Cookie, Ben and Family,
So sorry to hear about Hank. We wished we could have made it up to MT. to be there for you but time didn’t permit it. Jim will never forget how Hank told stories about the boys growing up and how he really felt!! He could always make you laugh, he will be missed. May you find strength and peace in your
memories. We often remember the time you came to visit, (how noisy the train
was at night). And the trip up to MT was great . We enjoyed the day with you and Hank in the town of Bigfork and of course the cherries on the way home.
Love,
Jim, Doris, Melissa and Ashley
i met hank as amechanic for ronan auto body and worked on his truck.he will be missed by all who had the privlage to meet him,my deepest condolance,keoki lopezdevictoria
Ralphy and Family.
We are so sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you now and always.
Geibel’s
Dear Cookie,
We are so sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Love,
Dave and Deanna.
Hello Cookie, we are your neighbors at the corner of Sunny View Loop and Johnson Road. We would like to send you our love and prayers. Hank was always so kind and friendly to me as he walked the loop and will be remember fondly. Please know that we are here if you need help with anything. You can reach us as 883-2065.
Geneva,
I’m so sorry for your loss. Hank was a wonderful man. I loved his passion for life. He was always a pleasure to talk to. I will miss him a lot. He will be missed a lot.
Love,
David
Condolence Thank You Letter:
Thank you for your heartfelt letters of condolence. It was thoughtful and kind of you to take the time to share your memories of my husband Henry “Hank” Matter with me. Your words were not only a comfort, but a source of strength for my family and me at this difficult time. Thank you.
- Geneva “Cookie” Matter
Cookie, Kathy, Jim, John, Tony, Ben & families – I just learned of Hank’s passing and wanted to offer my thoughts & prayers to all of you. I know he will be greatly missed. His sheer determination was inspirational and his wry sense of humor always kept me laughing. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Love,
Carla