In Loving Memory Of Karl Richard Matje

Karl Richard Matje was born December 25th 1957 to Albert and Leona Matje in Clinton Iowa. He was the third Matje Christmas baby. Karl lived his first seventeen years there and loved fishing, and hunting with his grandfather and father.
He and his family would go camping on the islands of the Mississippi River every summer where they would water ski, and fish and just have fun. At seventeen Karl and his mom and dad came out West to Colville, Washington in 1975 and built a house out Highway 20 East. The rest of his family followed soon behind. His two sisters, Kathy (Dave) VandeerMeer, Linda (Bill) Kaffenberger, ended up in Spokane. And his other sister Karen (Randy) Goodell, landed in Kettle Falls. His brother, Larry Matje ended up in Arizona.
Karl met the love of his life Lisa Kleier at a house warming party of one of his neighbors. They soon began to date and in August of 1976 they were married. They had three wonderful kids, Kim McKinzie (Arvin), Christopher (Linda), and Joleen Matje-Smith (Jarad).
They were blessed with three awesome grandkids, Alexander McKinzie, Gage Smith, and Hope Smith. They were Karl's pride and joy.
Karl was a very talented machinist here in Colville and he took great pride in his work. He loved doing work for the surrounding mills. There was nothing he couldn't fix. He was great at designing and reincarnating anything that was thrown at him. He fixed logging equipment and farming equipment. He was also an awesome mechanic.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Leona Matje and his sister, Karen Goodell (Randy).
Karl is survived by his loving wife, Lisa of forty-eight years, Kim McKinzie (Arvin), Chris Matje (Linda), Joleen Matje-Smith (Jarad), his sister Kathy (Dave) VandeerMeer, his sister Linda (Bill) Kaffenberger, his brother Larry Matje, numerous nieces and nephews, uncles, aunts, and cousins. He is also survived by many friends, and he was a friend to everyone that he met.