Obituary of Evelyn A. Matthews

Evelyn Ciba Matthews passed gently on June 12, 2009. Evelyn was born and raised in Waite Park, Minnesota. She attended school in Waite Park and graduated from Cathedral High School in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. During WWII, Evelyn worked in the defense plants. In Chicago, she worked testing and calibrating walkie-talkies for the U.S. Army. When she moved to Seattle, she worked for Boeing, testing oxygen instruments. She met the love of her life, Jim, when he returned from England after serving with the 8th Air Force. They married 6 months later in 1946. The family settled in Tacoma in 1955. After her 7 children were school aged, Evelyn worked for Nalley Foods for five years, then worked for West Coast Grocery, and retired in 1980. She is a member of Teamsters Union 599-now 117. Evelyn has been a member of Visitation Catholic Church since 1955. Evelyn enjoyed camping, gardening, traveling and spending time with her family. Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Mary Ciba, two brothers, Stanley and Julian (Zip) Ciba, two sisters, Helen and Cecelia Ciba, her husband Jim (1987) and son Jeffery (1994). She is survived by her children James Jr, of Dan Diego, CA, Virginia (Rick) Schubert of Tacoma, Tom (Mary) of Port Angeles, Don of Tacoma, Carol (Jon) Crowder of Kennewick and Donna (Andy) Anderson of Roy, WA., 11 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Rosary will be said 7PM Thursday, June 18, at Piper-Morley-Mellinger Funeral Home, 5436 S. Puget Sound. Funeral Mass at Visitation Church, 5801 S. Warner St, Tacoma WA, on Friday, June 19 at 10:30 AM, with interment at Calvary Cemetery immediately following. Donations can be made to Tacoma Rescue Mission or your favorite charity. Condolences can be left at www.pipermorleymellingerfh.com.