Phyllis Mattfolk

When reflecting on the life of Phyllis Mattfolk, words such as gracious, generous, and loving come to mind, however, it was her unwavering faith that will be her lasting legacy. She was a social person who was the heartbeat of wherever she went, and there was nothing she loved more than being with her family and friends. Phyllis shared much of her lifes journey with her true love, and together they witnessed their family tree blossom to include children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who made her heart swell with pride. Her quiet strength and graceful courage were inspiring as she faced whatever came her way without complaint. Life will never be the same without Phyllis here, but the memories she leaves behind will never be forgotten. It was exciting to be an American during the 1920s as innovation was taking us places we had never been. The silent film era came to an end during this time and cars became more affordable thanks to the widespread implementation of the assembly line. Radios brought the world around us within our reach while Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh took us soaring above the clouds. Amidst this vibrant time was the year 1925 that was met with great joy as a young couple discovered they were expecting a new baby that fall. It was on October 3rd of that year that Harold and Grace (Glover) Schoen welcomed the healthy baby girl they named Phyllis Mae into their hearts and home in Detroit, Michigan. She was the middle of three girls born to her parents and was raised alongside her sisters, Lois and Grace. Her mother divorced and remarried a few times during her earliest years, and money was often very tight but they made the best of it. From the time she was a young girl Phyllis was a bustle of activity. She attended a local elementary school where she excelled in her studies and even won a city wide spelling bee. The family moved to the Muskegon area when her stepfather, Maylon Gathard, got a job at Continental Motors. They settled in Muskegon Heights where Phyllis went to Muskegon Heights High School. She was an active and popular student who was always ready to be the secretary of groups as she loved keeping things organized. Not to be forgotten during her years in high school was Phyllis introduction to the young man of her dreams. His name was Carl Mattfolk, and he was one year her senior and working at Federals Department Store at the time. They began dating and soon found themselves deeply in love. Big changes were in store when Carl was drafted into the military and was stationed in Georgia. When home on leave the sweethearts were married on August 31, 1943, at St. Pauls Episcopal Church in Muskegon. As a new bride Phyllis moved to Georgia and lived in an apartment off base while Carl stayed on base. When Carl was discharged, the couple moved back to Muskegon and settled into a house on Jackson Hill and Carl eventually found work at Continental Motors. Together Phyllis and Carl were blessed with the births of five children including Barbara in 1946, Michael in 1947, Marsha in 1951, Martin in 1957, and Jeffery in 1961. The Mattfolks moved to a house on Barney Street in Muskegon Heights for a while before purchasing a new house on Greenwich Avenue in Roosevelt Park in 1960 where they lived for the next 50 years. While her children were younger and at home Phyllis focused her attention at home and was very involved in the lives of her children. She did earn some extra income as an Avon Lady. Once her son Jeff was out of grade school Phyllis began working as the office manager at Mona Shores Toyota. She worked there for 10 years until Carl retired in the eighties. Over the years Phyllis was one to stay busy. As a family they were members of Samuel Lutheran Church. Phyllis was active there in a variety of ways including as a communion assistant, member of the alter guild and ladies guild, making banners, and sewing fancy baptism cloths for the babies. Phyllis was always an organizer and willing to donate her time and efforts on all sorts of projects through the years. Shortly after getting married Phyllis formed a group with 16 of her girlfriends called Club 43. For the following 70 years they got together monthly for a potluck dinner and girls night out. On these night the kids knew they were not to set foot in the living room! Not surprisingly, it was Phyllis who organized her high school class reunion for several years. There were many trips to visit family and several family picnics on the Mattfolk side. Friday nights usually found Carl and Phyllis playing cards, often a game called Pedro, at his sister Dorothys house. Later in life Phyllis continued to fully embrace the days she was given. She was thrilled to become a grandmother and babysat whenever she could. During their retirement years they spent their winters someplace warm out West, usually California, Arizona, or Nevada where some of their children were living. At times they liked to visited the casinos. Phyllis and Carl took a memorable trip to London with their daughter Barbara, and they also made wonderful memories at their son Michaels wedding in Mexico. When in Muskegon Phyllis and her husband were active at the Vikings Lodge where they liked being part of the 20 Week Club on Wednesday nights. With a love for learning, she enjoyed crossword puzzles, played scrabble, and kept a collection of jokes that she found on the internet. Phyllis children looked forward to the jokes she forwarded them in their email on a daily basis. Although she was healthy throughout most of her life, when she faced health challenges Phyllis remained strong and never complained. She even made a full recovery after having both knees replaced. A few years ago Phyllis and Carl made the move to assisted living at Dayspring where they quickly became very comfortable. Sadly, she was diagnosed with cancer that was very advanced several months ago, so she spent her final months staying as comfortable as possible while embracing time spent with family. A woman who was beautiful on the inside and out, Phyllis Mattfolk was a blessing to those around her. Vibrant, fun-loving, and warm, there was no one who met her and left unchanged. Phyllis will be deeply missed while her memory is forever cherished. Phyllis M. Mattfolk died on Monday, September 29, 2014. Phyllis family includes her husband, Carl; daughter, Barbara (Ron) Teuscher of Las Vegas; sons, Michael Mattfolk of AZ, Martin (Kari) Mattfolk of Grandville, Jeffrey (Beth) Mattfolk of Del Mar CA; grandchildren, Randy, Kim, Marc, Wendy, Melissa, Dennis Jr., Jordan, Jared, Meghan, Joel, Joshua, Alex, Sam; seven great grandchildren; sister, Lois Baughman of NY; many nieces and nephews. Phyllis was preceded in death by her daughter, Marsha in 2008 and sister, Gracie Stiles. A memorial service will be held Friday, October 3, 2014, 11:00 a.m. at Samuel Lutheran Church with Rev. Marcy Miller officiating. Visit with Phyllis family and friends on Thursday, 6-8 p.m. at Clock Funeral Home-Muskegon and Friday, one hour prior to the service at Samuel Lutheran Church. Memorials can be made to Samuel Lutheran Church. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.