Mary Frances "Sunny" MATERN

09/11/1926 - 03/22/2015

MATERN, Mary Frances "Sunny" (Age 88) Of Glendale, AZ passed away on March 22, 2015. She was born on September 11, 1926 to Henry and Frances (Beeler) Lingg in Pullman, WA and was the youngest of seven children. Being an adventurous teenager she went on her own to Seattle and worked as a waitress for two years. Mary moved back to Spokane where she met and married Ted Matern and lived in Spokane, Wa for four years. Mary always wanted the country life and to have horses so they moved to Valleyford, Wa making a home there for 15 years. After her husband's death, Mary moved to Lebanon, OR. After two years there, she moved to Arizona to be near family. Mary loved riding horses, she was involved with 4-H and became a 4-H leader. Her first horse was a high-spirited thoroughbred named Babe who could only be ridden by women. One day while riding Babe with an old army saddle the horse bucked, her jacket got caught in the high saddle horn and she ended up with large bruise on her stomach and possible cracked ribs. She trail rode and did competitive cross country riding. Mary loved freehand painting, especially old buildings and barns. Mary loved working in her vegetable and flower gardens in Valleyford. Loving to camp and fish, the family roughed it sleeping in a tent and cooking on a camping stove and finally saved enough to buy a camper. Mary, Ted, and family loved it in the wilderness, cooking on her camper stove all across Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The family started fishing in an old large rubber patched raft purchased from Ted's brother. The raft leaked and required water to be continuously bailed out to stay afloat. The family later purchased a fiberglass boat that was "water tight" (no more bailing). She especially loved catching crab and Salmon fishing on the Skagiit River and cooking her first-time crab chowder on the camper stove. Mary enjoyed the pastime of knitting, embroidery, and crocheting. She made her daughters beautiful and lovely doilies and afghans that will be treasured forever. When not partaking in the country life, Mary was a voracious reader and passed this love onto her daughters. She was preceded in death by her husband Ted. Mary is survived by her daughters, Linda Wingo and Barbara Burstad; two granddaughters, Julia Hunter and Andrea Cochlin and three great-grandchildren. A grave site service will be held on September 19, 2015 at 3pm at Wood Memorial Cemetery (Madison and Elder Rd.) in Valleyford, WA.