Margaret Kampf Matulka, 94, loving mother and grandmother died Friday, Aug. 8, 2008, at Northern Montana Hospital of natural causes.
Her memorial service will be at 3 p.m. today at the First Lutheran Church with Pastor Michael O’Hearn officiating. A private family graveside will be held at Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook. Memorials are suggested to Havre Senior Citizens Center, 2 W. 2nd St., Havre, MT 59501. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Margaret was born March 14, 1914, in Arena, Saskatchewan, to Stephen and Katarina (Guzly) Reyda. In 1924 the family immigrated to Montana and homesteaded south of Havre. She graduated from Havre High School in 1932. She married Oscar Kampf and they farmed in Laredo. To this union, seven daughters were born. They later bought the Reyda homestead in the Bears Paw Mountains. Margaret worked for a number of local grocery stores after the family moved to Havre. She retired from civil service in 1974 after working 12-and-a-half years at the Havre Radar Station. Margaret and Joe Matulka were married in 1976 and resided in Chinook. They spent their time together traveling. Margaret truly enjoyed flying around Montana with Joe. Margaret was a member of the First Lutheran Church and a charter member of the Havre Eagles Auxiliary. She served as president of the Eagles Auxiliary in 1969 and gained national recognition when all seven of her daughters were inducted into the service organization. Margaret enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, whether visiting family or traveling with friends and acquaintances on bus tours. She was an avid pinochle player and never passed up a chance to play cribbage, rummy cube or other games with her daughters and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Anna Keenan and Ethel Rihlman; brother, Isidore (Sid); husband, Joe Matulka; infant son, Gary Lee; daughter, Marjorie Gatzemeier; and grandson, Rick Knudson. Margaret is survived by her daughters, Carolyn (Earl) Staples, Fairfield, Calif., Florence (Bob) Brown, Missoula, Joyce (Gerry) Malek, Lincoln, Beverly (David) Little, Fresno, Calif., Donna (Dave) Knudson, Havre, and Patty (Larry) DeRosa, Havre; stepchildren, Robert Matulka, Arlington, Va., and Betty (Darrell) Scott, Colbert, Wash.; 21 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
