Edna MATTE

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MATTE: Edna May Matte. Our Mother passed away on June 10 at the age of 96 years. She will be forever missed by her children Joan Patricia Campbell, Leonard George (Sheila) Campbell, Brenda Avlonitis (Matte), and Richard Henry (Penny) Matte. Mom leaves a wonderful legacy of a life well lived for all of us to learn from. She was born in Moore Park, Manitoba to Avalena Rose and Leonard Johnson on November 22, 1917. She was the 2nd eldest child of 7 siblings. She often spoke of life with her family and the years growing up in the Brandon area during the dirty 30’s and the 2nd WW years. Mom was twice widowed. At the age of 30 years, her first husband, George Campbell died, at age 46, her second husband, Emile Rene Matte died. She owned and operated the Arlington Hotel in Maryfield, Saskatchewan for approximately 25 years. She loved the business aspect of her life as a hotel owner, but she really enjoyed the friendships she made along the way with her many customers. She was lovingly called “Miss Kitty” and was known for being a fair and respected business woman. Some of our best stories are still told about the years we had being raised in the hotel. It was continuous work, but we all enjoyed the stability of being raised in a small community. She sold the hotel and retired in Brandon to be with her mother and her sisters again. She lived many happy years in her home and loved to spend her days gardening. Her friends and family were welcomed guests and we all have many wonderful memories of meeting at Mom’s in the summer to catch up on everyone’s life events. As time took us all in different directions and distant places in the coming years, Mom spent much time travelling with her sisters, and friends. She was a true globe trotter and she wasted no time enjoying her retirement years. As she aged we could see she was getting tired, but our Mother had an exceptionally strong will to live and so she did. We will miss you Mom, but we have been left with an abundance of memories and a wonderful new generation of young ones to raise in your honour. You will be forever loved and we will often speak of the years gone by and of the many strengths you passed on to us and your 7 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. A private service will be held at a later date.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jun 14, 2014