Len "Chuck" Allen Matvey

Len Allen "Chuck" Matvey, 75 of Meadowlands passed away peacefully at his home with his loving family by his side, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Chuck was born November 13, 1937 in Elmer Township to Joe and Alice Matvey. He attended Elmer schools and Toivola/Meadowlands High School. At the age of 17 he went to work for Berweiger Cheese Factory in Meadowlands where he hauled milk and made cheese and in 1958 also started working for American Bridge on the range. A year later he went to work for Ulland Brothers Construction and began logging. In January of 1961, Chuck was drafted in the Army. On May 20, 1961 he married Esther Novak in St. Louis, Missouri before he shipped out to France. Esther joined him in France a short time later and they spent the next 18 months there. After his discharge from the Army, Chuck returned to Meadowlands and went to work driving truck for E.W. Coons Construction. In 1973 he became self- employed hauling grain and logging until 1985 when he took over his father's dairy herd, with his wife, Esther. When he sold the herd in 1997, Chuck returned to truck driving, this time for Stan Olson Trucking until his retirement in 2004. Chuck was a member of the Teamsters Union. While in the Army, he drove truck for the 37th Transport Command and received a safe driver award for driving over 100,000 miles without an incident. Chuck enjoyed hunting and taught his grandsons how to hunt. He loved the outdoors, farming and trucking which he did most of his life, but his greatest joy came from spending time at home with his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister, and brother, Les. Chuck is survived by his wife of 52 years, Esther; sons, Joe (Karen) of Floodwood and Dean (Alejandra) of Meadowlands; brother, Walter "Buck" (Kathy) of Floodwood, sister, JoAnn Bock of Hibbing; seven grandchildren, Joshua (Heather), Justin, Jeremy, Brittany (John) Hanuschak, Brandon, Faith and Grace; and four great grandchildren, Emma, Ben, and Sophie Matvey, and Brett Hanuschak. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Drs. Bret Friday, Mark Boyce, Paul Tonkin and David Hyjek, and the Essential Health Hospice Grand Rapids Team for their loving care for Chuck and his entire family. God Bless each of you. Funeral services were held on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in New Life Community Church in Floodwood. Burial was in Rosehill Cemetery with Military Honors accorded by the Minnesota National Guard. A time of lunch and fellowship followed in the church social hall. Arrangements entrusted to Atkins Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.