The day is October 3rd, 1932. Otto & Martha Matthis; from a small farm just outside of Toston, Montana, are blessed with yet another mouth to feed. On this brisk autumn day, the youngest of three girls, Evelyn Louise Matthis has begun her journey in life. Under the watchful eye of her parents and older sisters, Nellie & Arlene, “Evie” ran & played, loved & learned, bowed & prayed, dreamed & yearned about the day her handsome prince would ride up and sweep her off her feet. She won’t be afforded many luxuries during these troubled times as her parents are poor struggling farmers. Yet with strong backs and a strong faith in the Lord, they managed to raise three happy, healthy girls to adulthood where they each married and started families of their own. All through her life in school, in church and at work Evie made many, many friends.
While in her senior year at Great Falls High she met a young man in the army air corps from Pennsylvania named Ronald James McNaight and it was love at first sight. They married and together they raised 3 boys, Patrick James, Perry Victor & Ronald Matthis. They trained them in life and watched them grow into young men, through school, church confirmation and boy scouts. You could just see the pride on their faces when telling their friends that all three of their boys achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. The journey was filled with many happy memories and more than a fair share of sad times too. Evie worked as a waitress & grocery store clerk where she was held at gun point, tied up and put in the cooler for hours until help came. Later she became a cook and finished off her career as head cook at the Eagles Manor.
After losing her middle son in 1974 and husband in 1983 both to suicide, she retired in in her comfy home with her oldest son Pat, being a swim coach at Great Falls High along with her faithful loving dogs Kelly and Bufford. From 1996 to 1998 she had to watch Pat slowly die of cancer, taking his life in 1998. In 2019 her legs finally said we’ve had enough Evie and stopped working. She spent the rest of her life in an assisted living home.
On September 24th, 2023, the Lord decided it was time to bring you home and sent the angles to collect you, the saddest day of my life.
She is survived by her sister Arlene Royland of Spokane, her grandsons Christopher James McNaight of Bozeman, Dillon Patrick McNaight of Spokane, her great grandson Kale James McNaight of Billings and me, her baby, Ronald Matthis McNaight.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
TRENDING
