Obituary of Kenneth Douglas Matheson

Kenneth Douglas Matheson passed away Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in St. Luke's hospice surrounded by family. Ken was born Nov. 3, 1917, in Duluth, to John and Camille Matheson. He spent his life in Duluth and graduated from Central High School. On Nov. 26, 1938, Ken married Margie Hollingsworth. Margie and Ken were married for 77 years and raised their three daughters in Duluth. In 1944 Ken joined the Marine Corps and served in Okinawa and China during the occupation. When he returned from World War II, he had several jobs, but his career was as an interior decorator at The Country Loft, JC Penney, Sherman Oreck, and retiring from Anderson Furniture in 1990. Ken was always creative. At 17 he won an amateur singing contest on Major Bowes in New York. After retirement, Ken joined Norm Sundquist in a business of creating birdhouses and butterflies. His creativity continued when he made greeting cards as "Hallbark Cards" where he used birch bark as his medium. The world has lost an artist. Ken was always a man of faith and his generosity and open heart demonstrated that. Our parents' home was always open to family and friends. His great-grandchildren loved Papa, and when they arrived, the art materials came out! Ken was loved enormously by all who knew him. His baritone voice and his poetry will live in the memory of his girls. Ken's family adored him, and he will be in our hearts forever. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margie; his parents; brothers John and Hector; sisters Irene, Patty and Dorothy; brothers-in-law Red Hollingsworth, Lloyd Sletton and Harry Brock; sister-in-law Ruby Hollingsworth; and nephew LeRoy Hendrickson III. Ken is survived by his daughters, Colleen Birt, Bonnie Matheson and Maureen Matheson; grandchildren Michael (Robin) Birt, Krista (Mark) Wight, Jennifer (John) Yerhot, Rebecca (Andy) Krubsack and Dan (Lynnea) Larva; great-grandchildren Olivia and Ava Birt, Kathryn, Regan and Scarlett Wight, Ethan and Claire Yerhot, Aela, Abby, Brendan Krubsack and Caden and Lilly Berglund. The family gives a heartfelt thank you to Jayne Keene and Auna Peterson for the care of our father. A special thank you to Bonnie Aase for her exceptional care the past eight years. Thank you to Maureen for welcoming our parents into her home, and Bonnie and Colleen for their love and support. A GATHERING OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS: 2 until the 3 p.m. memorial service Wednesday, Oct. 12, in the Cremation Society of Minnesota Chapel, 4100 Grand Ave., Duluth, (218) 624-5200.