H. Dewain Matthews

MALTA- H. Dewain Matthews 86, a retired farmer, died Thursday, August 10, 2017, at a Billings Hospital following a brief illness.

The family will receive friends at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 17, at the Kirkwood Memorial Chapel. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Friday, at the Kirkwood Memorial Chapel. Interment with military honors will be in the Malta Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to the charity of your choice. Condolences for the family may be left at http://www.kirkwoodfuneralhome.com.

Horace Dewain Matthews was born June 4, 1931, to Horace and Angelina Matthews in Malta, Mont., and was raised on a small farm three miles east of Malta. Dewain attended Malta Schools, and married Anna Faye Seaford on November 22, 1952, in Malta. As a member of the Montana National Guard, he would tell stories about patrolling the dike during the 1952 Milk River Flood in Malta. They had three boys; Danny (1953), Larry (1954) and Michael (1956). Dewain and Anna Faye were divorced in 1969. They farmed near Malta and for a short period in Canada.

Dewain married Lola Rustad Smith in 1970 in Malta. Lola's son Neil (1966) joined the family at that time. Dewain was a very hard worker and instilled those values to his sons. They farmed in the Loring community until 1982 when Dewain and Lola semi-retired and moved to Malta spending their winters in Arizona where many lifelong snowbird friends were made. Summers were spent at home in Malta. Dewain and Lola loved fishing and made numerous trips to Northern Saskatchewan catching lots of fish. Dewain worked as a mechanic, farmer, rancher, and partner in a trucking business and spent some time as a real estate agent after retirement. Dewain was a machinist and outstanding welder and had a reputation of being able to fix anything even making his own parts. No project was too hard for Dewain to accomplish. He enjoyed gardening and restored numerous old cars and pickups. Also converting a greyhound bus into a very nice motor home they used on many of their trips.

Dewain is survived his loving wife of 46 years, Lola. His sons, Dan Matthews of Severance, Colo., Larry (Susan) Matthews of Malta, Neil Smith of Spokane, Wash .; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; Brother and Sister in-laws, Clifford and Judy Rustad of Malta, Ted and Loretta Stevens of Lewistown, Mont., and Rachel Barrett of Great Falls, Mont. Numerous special nieces and nephews and especially Alan and Christine Snider who have been so helpful to Dewain and Lola.

He was preceded in death by his parents Horace and Angelina Matthews, a brother Russell Mathews, his son Michael Matthews.