HUBER: Mathias Gerald. February 9, 1929 - May 8, 2025.
Mathias Gerald Huber of Wilkie SK, beloved son, husband, dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa, passed away suddenly but peacefully on May 8, 2025, at the age of 96. Matt was born Feb 9, 1929 to Joseph Frank and Rosa Francisca (Stifter) Huber at their homestead 6 miles west of Leipzig SK. He attended school first at Krist, then Notre Dame in Leipzig, serving as an altar boy at St. Paschal’s, and hired out as a farm labourer to local farmers as needed. He left formal schooling at the age of 16 to join his dad full-time running a farm of grain and livestock. Dad regretted not being able to further his education, but as an avid reader of newspapers, farm journals and books, was in effect a life-long student, as many farmers are.
Matt married teacher Helen Pauline Rohs on October 12, 1953, and they soon started their own family, which eventually grew to 11 children. They farmed full-time, while Matt also worked at various jobs including telephone linesman, carpentry projects, and later driving school bus. He was always handy with tools, and did much of his own building, electrical and mechanical repairs, as well as butchering, sausage making, smoking meat and other well-honed skills. In the mid 1960’s, he built a mahogany stable for the church creche to Sr. Damien’s design. On Sunday mornings, you’d find him in the church entry, waiting to ring the bell before Mass and in later years, he took on the job of starting the often cantankerous furnace before services. After the last of the kids left home, Mom retired from teaching, and Dad retired from driving school bus, where he logged over a million miles on the job.
Mom and Dad had a few good years of retirement together and enjoyed holidays in Florida and Austria. When Mom passed away in 1995, Dad continued to farm on his own, gradually cutting back. He had plenty to do cooking all kinds of good things, maintaining a large garden and farmyard, and looking after his pet cat, “Dog”. Every autumn, he gave away sacks of potatoes and wheelbarrows full of squash. Dad retired off the farm and relocated to Bethany Enhanced Living in Wilkie in May 2013. There he enjoyed a good joke, favorite meals, watching curling, daily newspaper, crossword and other puzzles, the annual Huber Family Camping Rebellion, going for a drive to look at crops, kaiser & cribbage games and all ages of visiting family, and the company of old and new neighbors and friends.
Matt is survived by children Rose and Allan Roth, Terri and Ken Hull, David and Berna Huber, Chris and Marcia Huber, Kathy and Ted Dougall, Paul and Joyce Huber, Perry and Deb Huber, Loretta and Don Parker, Bryan and Sherry Huber, Julie and Roy Munton, Darrell and Angie Huber, 26 grandchildren and their spouses, and 25 great-grandkids (2 more on the way), all of whom he was very proud. Our family is grateful to Lynn Christiansen and staff at Bethany for the excellent and personal care they provided to Dad in his final 12 years; he was engaged, content and in good spirits to the end.
Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am Saturday May 24, 2025 at St. Paschal’s Church, Leipzig SK. In lieu of flowers, please donate “in memory of Mathias Huber” directly to Bethany Assisted Living Homes (Wilkie) Inc. – Roof Fund, PO Box 629, Wilkie SK S0K 4W0, or online at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/fix-our-roof/ or the Canadian Cancer Society https://cancer.ca/en. Gerein Funeral Service in care of arrangements.
