Ramah Alcian Mattson

TO VIEW RAMAH'S FUNERAL MASS VISIT ..  https://youtu.be/XwLlUC2_R_M

Ramah Mattson of Rush City passed away Sunday, December 5, 2021 at her home at the age of 94.

Ramah Alcian Nord was born February 15, 1927 as a "preemie" to Eric and Emma (LeRoux) Nord at Bethesda Hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She was so small she could fit into a cigar box at birth. She was the oldest of 3 and was raised with a younger sister Carol and little brother Andy. Her highlight of family time over the early years was Sunday picnics as a family and summer trips to her Aunt Ann and Uncle Bills in St. Cloud to babysit.

Ramah was a graduate of Centerville High School. After high school she had met the love of her life Jerry Mattson. Later at a time when he was back home on leave from the Army at Thanksgiving he proposed and said he could not go back to Kentucky without her. Her parents were O.K. with her going back with him and they were married by the Judge in Kentucky after they arrived. They later made their home back in Minnesota and raised a large family with 6 boys and 2 girls. The first 2 born were twin boys John and Jerry and sister Sue born 11 months later. Ramah said she was grateful for having her in-laws Marge and Earl Mattson living nearby to help with the little ones. Ramah and Jerry lived in many great places such as a pony farm on the outskirts of Braham and also had a home by the river in Isanti, in the town of Cambridge and ended up residing near West Rush Lake. They had many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even 4 great-great-grandchildren, she enjoyed all her time she could get with each one of them. She was so proud how talented a lot of them were whether sports or music…she enjoyed it all. Often times when the grandchildren were young and over at the house, you would find one cuddling in her lap with their baby blanket Mom crocheted for them. She always had a goal to have each grandchild get a baby blanket that she crocheted and even made all the graduates a blanket for their gift to take on with them in life. Ramah and Jerry enjoyed many years enjoying treasured friends from the area and got their taste of lake life. Ramah loved to read, play cribbage, attend the kids sports over the years, crochet and she was also a really good cook. She loved watching Vikings Football and Twins Baseball. Mom was proud of all her sons as they all turned out to be good cooks. Makes sense that her favorite subject in school was Home Economics.

Ramah and Jerry owned and ran the Braham Drive Inn during their years in Braham. They later sold the business to their son Peter. Ramah went to work for Control Data and later retired as an Assembler of computer boards which she really enjoyed. At retirement they bought a lake-home and lived on Little Boy Lake near Longville. They enjoyed lots of fishing, new friends and being involved in their Catholic Church. When the many visits and fun weekends spent started to get farther apart in later years, they decided to go back to the Rush City area where they resided at Countryside Apartments until Jerry Sr. was called home to heaven in 2011, just after their 65th Wedding Anniversary. Ramah ended up moving back to Braham and discovered her newly found independence there until later years when things got a little tougher to manage and moved to her daughter Julie’s to have in-home care. It seemed no matter where Ramah was she had a smile on her face. She always found the positive in life. She figured why not move one more time, so she ended up moving back to Rush City where she resided in the beautiful new Walker Methodist Assisted Living Facility just across the parking lot from where her and Jerry Sr. had lived in their later retirement years. They treated Ramah so well here. She had a lot of fun getting pampered with hair appointments, manicures and playing bingo …and she also enjoyed an occasional 2 PM happy hour on Fridays. It was a great life story and left quite a legacy of love and family for their grandchildren to treasure. Ramah passed away peacefully at her home at Rushseba Station surrounded by the love of her family and wonderful St. Croix Hospice & Rushseba care staff. She’s home safe in our Fathers arms just in time for her first Christmas in Heaven.

She will be dearly missed and forever loved and remembered by her children John (Carolyn) Mattson of Aitkin, Susan (Robert) Chandler of Florida, Pete (Terri) Mattson of Rush City, Michael (Penny) Mattson of Lakeville, Pat (Jean Ann) Mattson of Stanchfield, Tim (Becky) Mattson of Cambridge, Julie (Chad) Giffrow of Stanchfield; daughter-in-law Lois Mattson of Maple Grove; 22 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Mary Anne Nord of Spring Lake Park; nephews, nieces, many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Eric and Emma Nord; husband Gerald Mattson, Sr.; son Gerald Mattson, Jr.; brother Andy Nord; sister Carol (Bud) Foerster; granddaughters Jessica Mattson, Tina Reid; grandson Jeremy Mattson.

Father Don Wagner will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial for Ramah: 10:30 AM; Monday, December 13, 2021 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rush City. A time for family and friends to gather is planned from 4-7 PM; Sunday (12/12) at the Olson Funeral Chapel in Rush City and also one hour prior to the Mass at the church. The interment will take place in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Rush City.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the: Funeral and Cremation Service of Rush City, Olson Chapel
www.FuneralAndCremationService.com