Karen Lou (Boll) Matthias was born in Allegan, Michigan, on May 14, 1945, and died peacefully in her sleep with the Lord on Oct. 20, 2014. She was 69 years old.
She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Bill (William) Matthias; four children, Mark, Gregory, Kristin (Matthias) Bitz and Jeffery. Karen is also survived by daughter-in-law Kristine (Jones) Matthias, son-in-law Nicholas Bitz and daughter-in-law Jessica (Bagnall) Matthias. The grandchildren she loved so much are Malia (5) and Kira (1) Matthias, Noah (5) and Tyler (3) Bitz, and Jack Matthias (1). She is also survived by her sister, Julie, nephew, Mike Killingsworth, and niece, Carrie. Karen is survived by her sister-in-law Donna (Matthias) Weihofen, brother-in-law Raymond Weihofen and their children, Wendy (Weihofen) Mortimore, Wayne Weihofen and Vicki (Weihofen) Mutchler, as well as Donna’s five grandchildren. She is also survived by Dick Koop, husband of Bill’s late sister, Beverly.
Family members who preceded her in death are Richard and Viola Boll, parents; Vilas (Matt) and Gladys Matthias, father- and mother-in law; and sister in-law Beverly (Matthias) Koop.
Karen graduated from Allegan High School with a pre-college curriculum and sang soprano in the choir and played oboe in the band. One week after graduating from high school, she visited her Aunt Lucy Buss and first cousins Chuck and Mary Lynn Buss in Madison. This is where she met Bill Matthias, who was a high school friend of Chuck. The rest is history. She was together with Bill for over 50 years. Their wedding was on Sept. 11, 1965, in Madison at the UW-Madison Lutheran Chapel on State Street. Karen and Bill were married while still in school at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Valparaiso in 1967. Their first teaching jobs were in southwest Michigan at Gobles and Bangor Schools. They had a 14-acre hobby farm with dogs, horses, a cat and a pet raccoon that showed up when hungry.
After three years on this farm and teaching, they launched off to Hawaii to teach in Honolulu for a year. Following that year they moved to western Wisconsin to Hammond, where Bill was the principal and Karen started studying for her master’s degree from UW-Eau Claire in special education. Their first child, Mark, came along while in Hammond. During these three years they built their cabin on Bill’s parents’ land on Bond Lake, Wascott. After three years in Hammond, they moved for a year to Tripoli, Libya, North Africa, where Bill was the principal of the Oil Companies School and Karen was a stay-at-home mom in their villa on the Mediterranean. Second son Gregory was due to show up, so Bill and Karen left North Africa and moved to Bond Lake when Bill became the superintendent of the Northwood School District in Minong. Karen taught elementary grades in Solon Springs School for two years. She then had the great opportunity to stay home and raise her wonderful children, Mark, Greg, Kristin and Jeff for the next 10 years.
Karen earned her master’s degree from UW-Superior in 1982 in special education. After 12 years in Wascott on the lake, they moved to Shawano for 13 years. Bill was the assistant superintendent of the Shawano-Gresham School District, and Karen taught for those years at the Menominee Indian School District in the special education program at the Neopit Middle School on the Menominee Reservation. Karen and Bill both retired in the year 2000 and enjoyed almost 15 years of fun in the sun at their Englewood, Florida, home as well as their Bond Lake property and home.
Karen loved Jesus, her children, her grandchildren, her dogs and cats, and her trees, shrubs, flowers and garden. In Florida, she turned an open double lot into a forest of citrus and palm trees as well as 20 other varieties of plants with salt and drought tolerances. She was outside every day and shunned air conditioning if at all possible. On Bond Lake she loved her vegetable garden and many flower beds. She was the family expert on advice for a happy Christian life, painting walls and ceilings, wall papering, cupboard refinishing, and floor and bathroom wall tiling. She generously shared her skills with every member of the family.
Her last five years were her best. It is called being a grandmother. Five beautiful grandchildren were born within five years and it transformed her life for the better. Her love expanded beyond her husband and four children to these little precious babies and she was so happy helping them all grow and develop their independent personalities. She went from Karen to “Ammy” and she loved every minute of that special experience.
Her service of life in Christ was at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Minong on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014. Visitation at 11 a.m., church service at noon, followed by lunch in the church basement at 12:45 p.m.
In place of flowers, we suggest memorials go to Wascott Volunteer Fire Department Foundation, P.O. Box 22, Wascott, WI 54890.
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