Obituary of Mathilda Hiebert

Mathilda Hiebert nee Napoleon was born on September 13, 1943 in a tipi on her parents' homestead at East Moberly, near Flats Creek. Mat never had trouble finding work. Throughout her life, work came looking for her. When she was only 17, she and her cousin Victoria Davis worked at mile 300 of the Alaska Highway through an entire winter season, not returning home until the spring. Mat cleaned rooms and worked in the kitchen while Victoria waitressed and pumped gas. Her younger siblings recall her bringing home presents of new clothes and bags of candy for them. Giving was part of her nature as witnessed on her annual Christmas splurges and willingness to share and take care of people. Mat married George Hiebert in 1967, which resulted in 2 of her 6 children, Pauline and David. Her children, Vern, Myrtle, Fredrick, Pauline, David and Jason are all here today. Mat lived in places like Big River, Saskatchewan, Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Dawson Creek, Fraser Lake and the exotic mining town of Endako. But she always made it home to Moberly to visit her family and treat them to her wonderfully inventive meals and baking. Birthday celebrations for kids complete with cake and presents were always in order when Mat was around. In 1989 Mat had a house built near her mother Suzette to spend time with her and the grandchildren. She revived some of her traditional skills like processing wild game, beadwork and sewing. She participated in workshops and became an active community member, eventually taking up traditional dance and participating in spiritual ceremonies. She would travel to her grandchildren's hockey tournaments and sport events with the Walker Family and became an active and apparently "loud" hockey booster. She would always be found working on her yard or her smokehouse "akawan" which she took a lot of pride in. Mat was a key member of the SFN community garden in its first year. She became a mentor to the local traditional dance troupe, always encouraging them when they were struggling. She would travel with them to pow-wows listening to old country tunes and the dancers were as proud of her as she was of them. Mat was a mom and grandmother to many in the community. Her smile, twinkle in her eye, the giving nature and loud laugh will be with us forever and we will miss her dearly. Mat passed away on Sunday, August 1, 2010 in Moberly Lake, B.C. at the age of 66 years. A wake was held on Friday, August, 6, 2010 at 7:00 pm at the SFN admin Building Moberly Lake. A funeral service was held on Saturday, August 7, at 11:00 am, interment followed in the Riverside Cemetery, Moberly Lake, B.C.