Matilda Tavis, 1921-2016

Published 9:09 am Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Funeral services for Matilda “Tillie” Tavis will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Concordia Lutheran Church of Pickerel Lake. The Rev. Wendy Anderson will officiate. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place at Concordia Lutheran Cemetery.

Matilda “Tillie” Tavis died at Meadows Assisted Living in Albert Lea on Monday, Dec. 12, 2016. She was 95.

Matilda Tavis

Matilda Tavis

Matilda Schmidt was born Sept. 17, 1921, the daughter of Ferdinand and Mathilda (Vietze) Schmidt. She attended St. John’s Parochial School near Claremont. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Church. On June 16, 1954, she married Donald Tavis of rural Albert Lea.

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Matilda was a member of Concordia Lutheran Church of Pickerel Lake and WELCA. She was secretary of stewardship for eight years and a past-chairwoman of Mary Circle and past-chairwoman of the church altar guild. She loved making quilts for Lutheran World Relief, her children and grandchildren. She especially enjoyed being with her family and grandchildren.

Her husband passed away May 18, 1992. She moved to Albert Lea from the farm on June 2, 1997.

Matilda is survived by three daughters, Brenda Keith of Prescott Valley, Arizona, Carol (Dave) Blomberg of Lino Lakes and Carla (Richard) Sykora of Minnetonka; seven grandchildren, Adam, Matt and Courtney Gosney, Phill and Dan Blomberg, and Amanda and Denise Sykora; several nieces and nephews and many special friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; five brothers, Albert, Erhard, Richard, Ewald and Armin;  one sister, Hertha; infant granddaughter, Laura Sykora; and two sons-in-law, Bud Keith and Michael Gosney.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the wonderful care Tillie received at Knutson Place, The Meadows and from the staff at Mayo Clinic Home Health and Hospice.

Memorials are preferred to Lutheran World Relief: 700 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21230; or Bethesda Lutheran Communities: 600 Hoffmann Drive, Watertown, WI 53094.