Mrs. Miriam Rosalie (Camp) Matthews

Mrs. Miriam Rosalie Matthews, 89, of Altona, Illinois, died 11:33 p.m. Thursday, March 14, 2024, at the Knox County Nursing Home in Knoxville, Illinois.

She was born November 2, 1934, in Peoria, Illinois, the only child of Bernard and Jesse Lorene (Brown) Camp.  She married John Bolin in Alpha, Illinois, on July 7, 1954.  She later married Roy F. Matthews, Sr. on July 11, 1983, in Altona.  He preceded her in death on January 5, 2020.

Surviving are two daughters, Krystal Lohrei of North Carolina and Karole Bolin Tedin of Altona, three grandchildren, Kaitlyn Rose (and Grant) Miller, Caleb Lohrei, and Alex Reynolds, and one great grandchild, Jesse Robert Miller.  She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved son-in-law Robert.

Rosalie was a loving daughter, niece, mother, grandmother, wife, and a loyal friend. She was very close to her Aunt Miriam (Brown) Dean, for whom she was named.

Raised in Elmore, Illinois, she graduated from Williamsfield High School in 1952, and moved to Altona in 1954.  When she was just out of high school, she worked for O.T. Johnson Department Store in Galesburg.  She then was a bookkeeper at Admiral (later Maytag) Manufacturing Company in Galesburg for ten years and later was a secretary for the Altona Co-Op Grain Elevator for approximately 27 years.  She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Elmore, and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altona.  

Rosalie enjoyed collecting antiques along with her husband Roy, and had hundreds of antique dolls.  During their 37-year marriage, Rosalie and Roy had many yard sales every year on holiday weekends and during "More On 34" weekend, at their home on Highway 34.  Rosalie was also a talented seamstress and often sewed clothing for herself and her 2 daughters. She was well known for sewing beautiful doll clothes and sold homemade Barbie clothes at Christmas time.

For many years, Rosalie loved spending Sundays "down home" in Elmore with her beloved parents, in the house where she grew up, and later she often talked about that house & her hometown, still calling Elmore "Rochester."  She always loved taking drives in the country back to that area by the Spoon River. 

Rosalie played piano and loved music -- gospel hymns, country, and good dance music, especially Jerry Lee Lewis, and she loved attending dances. 

Rosalie had a passion for Christmas traditions, especially decorating the house. She & Roy sometimes spent 2 weeks decorating for the Holidays. When her daughters were little, she made every Christmas a very special, warm & memorable time for them. Her daughters were both born on July 12, and Rosalie loved to make their birthdays extra special as kids, having 2 big birthday parties every year. She was in PTA, helped with summer Bible school and Girl Scouts, and attended all her daughters' school events, church events, and ballgames.

After becoming a grandma, Rosalie enjoyed cooking big meals when her daughters and their families visited. She loved teaching her granddaughter Kaity, and Kaity's husband Grant, how to make her delicious homemade chicken & noodles that the family loves so much. Her granddaughter Alex loved her homemade dumplings, so Rosalie made sure to cook them whenever Alex visited. 

Rosalie was very happy to spend time with her great-grandson Jesse when he visited from NC,  just before he turned 1 year old.

Cremation will be accorded.  A graveside service will be held at a later date at the Walnut Grove Cemetery in Altona.  Memorials may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church.  Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Service Galesburg Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.  Online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com. 

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