Mattie was a perfect combination of living life to its fullest, persevering through incredible adversity, and doing her best everyday to positively impact the lives of those around her. To have known her is to have been touched by someone who genuinely wanted to share the best of life's gifts with anyone and everyone around her. She not only loved her people, but also her people's people.

Being born into the Amish, Mattie eventually sought something different; something more. After leaving the community, she graduated high school in Battle Lake, MN. Wanting to improve her abilities and to build a better legacy for her future family she did not stop there. While raising her children and working multiple jobs, she earned her associates degree in nursing from St Mary's in Minneapolis. She would later obtain a BS in nursing from the University of Phoenix.

Nursing is the perfect fit for someone who wanted to care for the sick and the disabled, and she gave further integrity to the match when she developed a passion for patient advocacy, challenging herself and the people around her to remember the human side of health services, particularly when those afflicted by disease or injury cannot advocate for themselves.

Mattie's drive to provide for others led her to be a mother who would stop at nothing to give her children every opportunity in life, including many that she did not have herself. This eventually extended to everyone in her extended family, including family ties bonded through marriage. She always felt that everyone deserved the opportunity to be loved and provided for.

When given the opportunity to help others who came into the world in similar circumstances to her own, Mattie found a new purpose. Rekindling relationships from her times in the Amish, and helping others find success outside of the community fueled much of her adult life. Indeed so many at one point or another found support when they reached out to her in their transition, whether it was help finding work, adjusting to life outside of the Amish, or for a place to rest their head for a time.

In her later years Mattie was able to fulfill a lifelong dream; to settle down with a partner and travel the country together. Her adventures with Quentin over the past couple of years were certainly much of her bucket list. To travel across this beautiful country seeing so much family and making new friends; giving all of her loved ones some last memories to cherish.

Mattie's unending love for those who were important to her is rivaled only by her acceptance of every living soul and her incredible sense of humor. She found joy and gave compassion in every relationship she made. Her presence and influence will be sorely missed by all that had the pleasure of calling her friend or family.