Evelyn May Matthews

Evelyn May (Witmer) Matthews Silverdale, WA Formerly of Grand Ledge, MI, age 96, of Silverdale, WA, died peacefully after a long battle with dementia on March 25, 2010 at the Hospice Care Center in Bremerton, WA. She was born on August 21, 1913 in Harbor Springs, MI, the daughter of Glen Alden and Mildred (Chilton) Witmer. She spent most of her youth in Muskegon, MI, and moved to Lansing, MI as a young adult. She married Frederick A. J. Matthews on October 29, 1938. For many years the Matthews family lived on a 25-acre farm near Grand Ledge, MI, where they raised goats, other animals, and most of their own fruits and vegetables. Evelyn was a faithful and long-time member of the Grand Ledge Baptist Church. She especially enjoyed the monthly Eaton County (Michigan) Extension Club and was known for her artistic talent and creativity in a wide variety of needlework and crafts, including creating copper and silver jewelry. She taught her daughters to sew, leading to lifelong creative avocations for both. She always relished making people laugh with her lighthearted conversation. In later years, Evelyn and her husband Frederick were avid campers and loved traveling with camping friends. After Frederick's death in 1980, Evelyn became an enthusiastic "snow bird" who spent summers in Michigan and winters in Florida. She relocated to Kitsap County, WA in 1992 to enjoy the milder climate and to be near her daughter Barbara. Evelyn is survived by her three children, David (Carol Ann) Matthews of Canton, MI; Joyce (Louis) Bowers of Mount Prospect, IL; and Barbara (Brian) Beagle of Silverdale, WA. She is also survived by four grandchildren: Cindy (Geoffrey) Semrau, Thurston (Jacqueline) Matthews, Rev. Dr. Diane (Hans-Christian Kasper) Bowers, and Maia (Walter Powell) Bowers; as well as nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Rev. Ralph Witmer and Verne Witmer; her husband of 42 years, Frederick Matthews; and a great-granddaughter, Katrina "Katie" Semrau. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on April 10, 2010 at Calvary Lutheran Church, 6301 W. St. Joseph Hwy. in Lansing, MI, with Rev. Diane Bowers officiating. Inurnment will be at Leek Cemetery in Alaiedon Township near Okemos, MI. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Silverdale Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 151, Silverdale, WA 98383. The family is being served by the Peters & Murray Funeral Home, Grand Ledge. www.petersandmurrayfuneralhome.com