Pauline Alice (Rauch) Matheny

Pauline Matheny, age 93, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on May 4, 2020.

She was born February 5, 1927 on the family homestead near Echo, Oregon to Fred and Johanna Rauch; one of ten children. She first attended a little country school at Pine City on Butter Creek. When the family moved to the Sand Hollow Ranch in 1939 she attended nearby Alpine school. After a year in school there, the bus started taking the Rauch kids to Echo. She graduated from Echo High School in 1945.

Pauline married Orval Matheny on December 31, 1945 after Orval came home from life as a paratrooper in the Philippines during WWII. They began their married life in Heppner, Oregon where she was employed in a law office and Orval as a lineman for the REA.

They built their home together on Hinton Creek outside of Heppner in 1948. It would become the home where they raised their family and where she lived the rest of her life. Their son David was born in March of 1948 and their first daughter Sandy in 1952. Orval was badly injured in a powerline accident later that same year. After Orval recovered from his injuries, they began helping Pauline’s parents on the family ranch in Sand Hollow. Second daughter Sally was born in 1959. Pauline and Orval farmed the family ground until they retired in 1986 and Dave and wife Patty took over.

Pauline loved her family, her church and her community. She was a wonderful friend, especially to children (of all ages). She was a den mother for the cub scouts, a Sunday School teacher at Hope Lutheran for 20 years and volunteered for the school reading program at Heppner elementary for well over a decade. She and Orval delighted in participating in their kids’ and grandkids’ school events from birdwatching to rodeo. They never missed the kids’ ball games unless they were out of town traveling. She and Orval especially loved going to the mountains with their family and trailering all over the country in their Avion.

A consummate artist, Pauline created beautiful oil paintings which grace many a wall in Morrow County and beyond. She also enjoyed pencil sketching, sculpting and watercolors.

Pauline was preceded in death by her husband Orval and son David. She will be deeply missed and is survived by daughter Sandy Matheny Fennessy (Mark) and Sally Brosnan (Mark), daughter-in-law Patty (Luciani) Matheny, five grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private family service was held at Heppner Masonic Cemetery. A memorial service is being planned for a later date.

Those who wish may make contributions in memory of Pauline to Hope Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 246, Heppner, OR 97836 or Pioneer Memorial Hospital, P.O. Box 9, Heppner, OR 97836.

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