Dorothy Ruth (Ratcliffe) Matta

Dorothy Ruth (Ratcliffe) Matta of Northome, Minn., went to her heavenly home on Sept. 23, 2020, after a determined struggle against pancreatic cancer.

She was born in the living room of her family’s farmhouse in Fordville, North Dakota, to Ruth (Wilson) and Elwood Ratcliffe on Saturday, Jan. 21, 1928. The eldest of three daughters and a farm girl of the Depression Era, Dorothy “Dot” was truly “Saturday’s child,” for she always “worked hard for a living.” She attended Fordville High School and graduated as valedictorian in 1946. Dorothy attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, where she spent four years as a resident of Davis Hall. An avid reader and lifelong scholar, she was a member of UND’s History and Education clubs and a founder of the Geography club.

It was at UND that she met her future husband, William C. Matta. Together, they fell in love with geography, history, and each other. After graduating from UND in 1950, each with teaching degrees, Dorothy and Bill were married on July 29, 1950, at Fordville Presbyterian Church. They embarked on their first teaching jobs in Zap, N.D., where they also started a family. In 1952 they accepted teaching positions in Northome, where they lived first in the apartment above the theater and then in the bank building apartment, across from the Scenic Hotel.

The move to 40 acres on Highway 1 in June of 1954 marked the start of their permanent residence in Northome, as well as Dorothy’s conversion from North Dakota farm girl to Minnesota woods and farm wife. They began rural life with two children, by 1969 had eight, and their farm grew to 220 acres, with livestock and fowl of all kinds. Dorothy continued to teach as a substitute, and seemed always to have other jobs, including nursing home behavior analyst, resort cook, Tupperware lady, and librarian. Still, she would say her primary occupations in life were “wife and mother.”

Dad always said one of the things he loved most about Mom was that “she enjoys life and she is curious about everything.” Together, they were travel partners and lifelong learners who taught their children to be curious about the world. One important mission of theirs was to attend every high school and college graduation of their children and grandchildren, wherever that might be.

In their 57 years of marriage they traveled throughout the United States and Canada, as well as overseas. After Bill’s death Dorothy continued traveling to visit children and grandchildren, which she undertook as a delightful obligation. These lifelong travels took her to 49 states, all the Canadian provinces except Newfoundland, the countries of Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, France, Mexico, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Among Dorothy’s fondest earthly treasures was her personal library, a reflection of her love of learning, with collections ranging from classic literature and nature, to quilting, cooking and canning, and her enduring love of geography and history. However, it’s more than symbolic that the most shelf space in her library was devoted to topics of faith and religious devotion, the treasure upon which her life was centered.

Dorothy understood her family and her faith as gifts from God. Her devotion to the Lord led her to be a loyal friend, counselor and mentor to many, an advocate for the underdog, and a faithful visitor to the sick and elderly. She had an ecumenical spirit and was actively involved at Hope Lutheran, Covenant, Gemmell, and Northome Community churches, where she served as Sunday School teacher, choir director, council secretary, church librarian, and pianist. With the help of her church, her community, her children and their families, Mom’s final wish was honored: to die in the house in which she had so thoroughly lived.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her sister Vivian Smestad.

She is survived by her children, William (Victoria) of Waco, Texas; Diane (Stephen) Bennett of Blackduck, Minn.; Miles (Linda) of Bigfork, Minn.; Todd (Teresa) of Stow, Mass.; Christine (Gerald) Sabol of Duluth, Minn.; Stuart (Shirley) of Grand Prairie, Texas; Jennifer (John) Short of Ogema, Minn.; and Stephanie (Jack) Flicek of LeCenter, Minn.; grandchildren Camille Matta, Lorraine (Jeff) Matta Eastham, William Matta, Vanessa Matta, Sarah (Dan) Bennett Keller, Jeremy (Marlene) Bennett, Nathan (Catherine) Bennett, Benjamin Bennett, Jonathan Bennett, Matthew Matta, Ethan Matta, Mila Matta, Kaisa Anttila, William Anttila, Alicia Short, Andrew Short, Aaron (Marilla) Short, August (Karensa) Short, Steven (Rachel) Liebhard, Elizabeth (Jordan) Liebhard Danielson, Deanna (David) Flicek Picka, Mariah (David) Flicek Bastyr, Cassandra (Jerry) Flicek Horejsi, Joshua (Karin) Stepka, and Hannah Flicek; great-grandchildren Donovan Alvarado, Peri and Farah Kaya, Nathan and Abigail Eastham, Calista, Dominic, and Alexander Keller, William, James, Drew and Henry Bennett, Lyvia Kamunen, Augustus, Westley, and Gideon Short, Aiden, Alex, and Dorothy Liebhard, Henry and Emmett Danielson, Adria, Jordan and Nathan Picka, Taylor Flicek, Dalton and Gregory Horejsi, Ivan, Julene, and Marissa Stepka, and Ezra Flicek; sister Phyllis Ratcliffe-Berg; sisters-in-law Ardella Sidlo and Lulu Sullivan; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be held on Friday, Sept. 25 at 5-7 p.m. at Cease Funeral Home, 81 South Main, Blackduck, Minn. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 11 a.m. at Northome School, with Pastor Sheldon Johnson officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery in Northome, Minn. All are welcome to an outdoor luncheon at the Matta farm at 11201 Town Road 7 in Northome, following the service. Masks are required. Cease Funeral Home of Blackduck, MN, will be handling funeral arrangements.

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter the joy of your Master’s kingdom.”

Messages of condolence may be sent to ceasefuneralhome.com