Elsie Maurine (Boydston) Matt (99) died peacefully Dec 17, 2024. She was born Sept 1, 1925, in New Underwood SD to George & Lillie Boydston.
As a young girl, Elsie was active in Church with Christian Endeavors, Choir & Bible School. In high school, she entered most musical events, the marching band, twirling & drama which included Jr & Sr plays. She graduated from New Underwood HS in 1943 and taught school on an emergency teaching certificate, during the war years, at the Paul Reichert/Wilcox Country School & started her involvement in 4-H leadership. She took a 6 week course at Spearfish and taught at the Red Top School that next year.
She was married to Marion Arneson in Nov 1944. They were expecting a child when Marion died in 1946 after a horse accident. Elsie & their son, Marion stayed with Elsie’s widowed mom until she married Arnold Matt on Feb 14,1948, at the home of her sister and brother-in-law, Ardis & Justin Speer, after just 3 months of courtship. Along with 14 month old Marion, they moved into Ole Olson’s house in Boneita Springs where the conveniences included gas powered washing machine, kerosene lamps, gas lantern, propane refrigerator, wood cookstove and a well with a pulley and rope for their water. They moved a 4 room house onto the land that Arnold purchased when he was 18. Before they moved the house, she and Arnold dug the basement by hand with the help of his dad. Cliff was the first child born after moving into their own home and their first daughter Dixie followed 16 months later. Over the next 6 years, sons Ron, Stanley & Kenny quickly followed.
Through the years, as the family grew, more land was farmed, cattle acquired & outbuildings added to house grain, poultry, hogs, sheep etc. Elsie was in charge of childcare & chores & was the chief cook and bottle washer; cooking for Arnold, their family, branders, hunters, combiners, neighbors, extended family and visitors. In the early years, she did this with a wood burning cook stove, generator ran electricity & no running water to the house. In the early 50’s, running water was brought to the house and Elsie was so excited to have drains from the kitchen & laundry room. Electricity came to the area in 1953 after Ron, baby #4, was born. In 1960, after the birth of their 7th child, Marlene, they moved another house onto the place and added it onto the original home for much needed room. Their lives changed again when telephones were brought into the area around 1961. With 21 years between the oldest child and the youngest, only 7 kids actually lived at home at one time. Shortly before Beverly and Bonnie were born, 14 months apart, in the mid 60’s, an indoor bathroom was installed.
Elsie enjoyed teaching & helping others and took every opportunity to do so. She and Arnold were very involved in the community and worked with the Community & ABC Community Club to maintain the Boneita School, Church & Cemetery. She was also involved in Vacation Bible School, 4-H Club, Extension Club & the TOPS Club to name a few. She held leadership roles in 4-H, received numerous TOPS achievement awards & was awarded the prestigious Good Neighbor Award for her selfless contribution to her community and the surrounding areas. She also wrote the Boneita News column for the Sturgis Tribune for many years and enjoyed catching up with neighbors while gathering the news.
Elsie sent her kids off to New Underwood, 43 miles away, for their high school years where they would board away from home during the week. That was hard on her, even after they got a phone, as New Underwood was a long-distance call and a luxury reserved only for emergencies. She looked forward to Friday when the kids would come home to tell her about their week. As times got better and cars & roads improved, she and Arnold were able to attend more of the kids’ events which included FFA, FHA, basketball, football, track meets, rodeos, style shows, calf shows, school plays, State Fairs and graduations.
Elsie took several trips & some of the most memorable included destinations in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Mexico, Rhode Island, Massachusetts & Texas. Her last trip was to Texas at the age of 90.
They lived on their homestead until Arnold’s declining health made it necessary to move to New Underwood where they lived for 14 years. Elsie enjoyed the convenience of living in town, attending church regularly and being close to her sister Ardis & brother Charles. Elsie lived there nearly 2 years after Arnold passed and then moved to Rapid City into an apartment in Primrose Retirement home. She enjoyed her years there as she had lots of activities & social opportunities to keep her busy in addition to a steady stream of family & friends visiting. She later moved to New Underwood nursing home when living independently was no longer an option. Her last few years she resided at Avantara Memory Care Facility in Rapid City.
Throughout her lifetime, many facts remained true. She never met a stranger, was an avid reader, had the gift of gab, was spunky, friendly & funny yet determined & enjoyed being surrounded by family & friends.
Elsie and Arnold both thought that family was their most important crop and in Elsie’s lifetime, she saw that “crop” grow 5 generations deep.
She leaves her nine children, Marion (Darlene) Matt, Clifford (Judy) Matt, Dixie (Dave) Oyler, Ron (Tonya) Matt, Stanley (Glenda) Matt, Kenny (Cindy) Matt, Marlene (Paul) Montoya, Beverly (Wade) Wootton & Bonnie (Steve) Yearous, 24 grandchildren, 55 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, sister in-law Annette Matt and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, first husband Marion Arneson, husband of 64 years Arnold Matt, daughter-in-law Vicki Matt, son-in-law Wayne Bloom, grandsons Justin & Trent Matt, great-granddaughter Maci Oyler, twin great-grandsons Leo & Miles Matt, Sister Ardis (Justin) Speer, Brothers Cecil (Alice) Boydston & Charles (Margaret) Boydston, Brother in-laws Henry Matt & Julius (Alys) Matt, Sister in-law Gladys (Charles) Brassfield, Niece Diana Matt-Gehrels & Nephews Dennis Matt, Alynn Matt & Carrol Boydston.
The visitation will be at Kirk Funeral Home, 1051 E. Minnesota, Rapid City, from 5 to 7 pm on Friday Jan 3rd. Services will be held Saturday, Jan 4, 2025 at 10:30 at the Central Meade County Community Center in Union Center, SD with Pastor Harold Delbridge officiating. There will be a catered lunch immediately following the services. Burial will be in the Boneita Springs Cemetery after the luncheon at 2PM. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established to the Central Meade County Community Center, Rural Meade County Ambulance Service & Enning Fire Dept.
