A Mass of Christian Burial for George "Butch" Mathias, age 91, of Heron Lake, will be held Tuesday, November 7th at 10:30 AM at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Heron Lake, with Father Pratap officiating. Burial will follow in the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery. Military honors will be provided by the Sievert-Peterson American Legion Post #608 of Okabena.

A time of visitation and gathering will be held on Monday, November 6th from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Heron Lake. Visitation will continue Tuesday for one hour prior to the service at the church in Heron Lake.

George "Butch" Edward Mathias was born on September 19, 1932, in Heron Lake, Minnesota, to the late William and Leona (Rostomily) Mathias. He attended a one room country school through second grade, then went to Sacred Heart Parochial School through the eighth grade, and later graduated from Heron Lake High School in the class of 1950.

After volunteering for the draft and completing Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, George was sent to South Korea, where he spent 16 months with the Army Engineers and was then honorably discharged on December 1, 1954. Upon returning home, he met the love of his life, Karen Hochstein. George and Karen were united in marriage on June 11, 1956. They enjoyed 62 wonderful years of marriage, with their four children, Larry, Diane, Lois and David.

George loved farming and being part of the land. He spent 15 years as a Rural Mail carrier, which allowed him to watch the crops grow and the seasons change. His four children were very special to him, as were his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On November 1, 2023, at the age of 91 years, George passed away peacefully under hospice care, with his family at his side, at Ava's House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

George is survived by his four children, Larry (Rhett Merrill) Mathias of Palm Springs, CA; Diane (Brad) Doherty of Heron Lake; Lois (Bryan) Eigenberg of Windom; David (Devara) Mathias of Pasadena, CA; nine grandchildren, Becky (Tami), Jessie (Ann), Christina (Elgin), Jenny (Emilio), Dustin (Sara), Darci (Derek), Amber (Jessy), David and Natalia; ten great-grandchildren, Keaton, Ariyah, Emmett, Tirius, Kalel, Kaeja, Dawson, Reese, Harper, and Brayden; and several nieces, nephews, and friends.

George was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Karen; parents, William and Leona; brothers, Clayton and John; sisters, Helen Freking and Maxine Winkler.

Blessed be the memory of George "Butch" Mathias.

For those who wish to make a charitable contribution, Heron Lake/Okabena Caring Connections is the preferred charity of the Mathias family.