Obituary of Doug Matier
Douglas Charles Matier was born near Galahad, Alberta in a small country house near the Battle River on February 23, 1934. He was raised on a farm with cattle and of course horses. As a kid dad would race horses with his friends and rode a horse to Breton, a country school. Dad left school in grade 8 at the around 13 to embark on a journey of rodeo and racing horses.
Mom worked at the local hospital and dad visited the hospital with some broken ribs. There were instant sparks and it didn’t take long before they were wed. Born to this union were Dwayne and Darcy. We all travelled with through northwestern U.S.A. and western Canada racing quarter horses. Dad eventually turned to training and racing thoroughbreds. In the early days we would stay in the back of our ton truck, that was used to transport the horses, that had stock racks and a tarp overhead. We were all based out of a small house in my grandpa and grandmas Matier’s yard. We did not have a TV or phone or an indoor bathroom. Mom and dad wanted a farm of their own so they bought a quarter section not far away where we all worked together to build a farm. We finally had running water and indoor bathrooms.
We had two lives back then. Our life at the tracks in Edmonton and Calgary and our life on the farm. Dad was a very successful horse owner and trainer. Many people would confide in my dad about a horse and what treatment or exercise might heal them or make them manageable. Dad broke many horses. Dad loved hunting and fishing, camping, ice curling, and floor curling. Mom and dad loved to travel and visited Alaska, Montana, and California. Dad’s favourite times were watching his grandchildren play baseball and going for drives with his boys looking at crops and looking for wildlife. Our drives would often take us back to 13 along the Battle River.
Dad accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and saviour around 1980 and decided that the race track life had run its course and returned home for the more tranquil farm life raising cattle and chickens and working at the nearby Paintearth coal mine. He worked at the coal mine for about 16 years and retired from there around 1997. In and around that time mom and dad started following the grandkids around supporting and cheering on their grandkids in various sports. They particularly immersed themselves in Tyler’s baseball dream driving him around all over northwestern North America. Dads competitive nature is evident in the grandkids and also his great grandchildren.
Mom and dad sold the farm and moved into Forestburg around 1999 and enjoyed family and friends in a much more relaxed time. Mom and dad later moved into a smaller house in Forestburg. The house and yard was kept in immaculate condition as all their properties were. As they aged and their health declined they decided to move into Big Knife Villa. There they made wonderful friendships amongst caring staff. Dad passed away in the Daysland hospital at the age of 87.
Dad is predeceased by his father and mother Charlie and Edna (Doan) Matier, brother Kenny, sister Faye and brother in law Clarence Kuefler, wife Gwen, and son Darcy. Dad leaves to mourn his son Dwayne and his wife Donna (Thomson) and their son Tyler and Natali (Salgado) and their children Preston, Matthew, Gracie, and Emma, son Justin and Amanda(Olsen) and their daughter Maggie, daughter Mandy and Garrett Pollock and their children Piper and Iver, son Carson and Alice Wong, Darcy’s wife Noreen (Smith) and their children Aharon, Amber and Eric Miller and their children Lincoln and Lauren, and Ryan, and brother Bill and Shirley (Rajewski) and their children Susie, Sandra, and Debbie and a host of other family and friends.
The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses and staff of Daysland hospital, staff and residents of Big Knife Villa, Forestburg Pharmacy, Fee and sons, and anyone else that has helped dad along the way. Special thanks go out to friend Rose Barnes, cousin Dot Adams, friends Allen and Shirley Harder, friend and Pastor Dave Tonner, and brothers in law Ronnie, Barry and Pauline, and Orville Fossen.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Doug
Matier..
fee and sons funeral home & cremation
Death notice for the town of: Killam, Province: Alberta