Our Family, Business, Friends, and Interests
Contents
Work Information Mark
Pines Boarding Kennel Barb's Business She Built in 1989
Our Children, Grandchildren and Son-In-Law
Mobilization Plans Specialist
I presently work in Sparta, WI for WESCO as a flooring specialist. We sell all types of flooring mostly for residential use. See us at http://www.wescohomefurn.com/
Owner Operater of Pines Boarding Kennel, Sparta, WI
I own and operate Pines Boarding Kennel in rural Spart, Wisconsin, USA. This business cares for family pets of all types (although for some types, you must bring your own cage). I have taken care of innumerable dogs and cats of virtually all common and some not so common breeds, a very wide variety of cats, gerbils, hamsters, birds, fish, turtles, a mountain lion, an Algerian Serval, horses, white mice, and rats.
Provide all the care and attention for the pets entrusted to me. My kennel has twenty 4'x5' inside dog pens, ten 6'x7' inside dog pens for large dogs or families of more than one dog, seven 4'x4' cat or small dog pens, and finally, three rolling cat pens for shy cats. I have taken care of 52 animals in these pens at one time. Several pens were with families of more than one dog or cat. I exercise, feed, and water the boarders, clean pens as required, and ensure all boarders are kept within the "safety zone" at all times.
Check animals in and out and do all the adminstrative tasks acssociated with a small business. I ensure each animal if appropriate, is exercised three times each day at 8am, 3pm, and 10pm. Each animal is fed according to the schedule outlined by the owner and I ensure all have fresh water continuously. I thoroughly clean and disinfect pens following each use. I provide pick up and delivery service for customers that require it on a case by case basis. I make every attempt to put each and every pet and every owner completely at ease about being in a kennel.
Our Children, Grandchildren, and Son-in-Law
Our daughters Heather and Holly were 27 and 23 respectively when they passed away from Cystic Fibrosis. They left a living trust and wonderful memories. This picture is from about 2 years prior to their passing away, when they were both relatively healthy. They both went downhill very quickly in the last year of their lives.
Heather had a son Dalton whom she loved and cherished. He misses her and calls for his "mama" every day. We are sure she is watching over him. Dalton lives with his nana and papa in rural Sparta, Wisconsin. He is papa's boy through and through. Heather was not married to Daltons father because of medical insurance difficulties. His daddy abandoned Heather and Dalton in Feb 98 about 5 months prior to Heather passing away. Barbaa and Mark adopted Dalton on 6th birthday. Holly married George Warren Wheelock of rural Taylor, Wisconsin in April of 1994. Their first child Matthew was born on 30 September 1994. He is a great grandchild. He gave his "mommy" many hours of pure joy, and continues to give his nana and papa many hours of pure joy. He is papa's buddy but nana's boy. Their second child Faith was born on 18 July 1996. She is her mommy through to the core. Her beautiful smile will melt the heart of any who see her. She is papa's sweet girl and loves her nana dearly.
Mark - 123mepoo@centurytel.net
Barb - pines000@centurytel.net
http://www.oocities.org/mhmattke
If you want further contact information, contact us by e-mail first, and we will forward our phone #.
Building a new garage for lawn equipment.
In the process of building a lawn care equipment garage on the site of an old outside dog pen. Had removed the ouside pens but still had a 12x20 concrete pad, what better place to build on. Only needed a little electricity and some supplies and voila, a garage took shape in only 5 days from start to all but 2 rows of siding when the snow started to fly. Its at least closed in for the winter and everything is out of the vehicle garage. Sure is nice to be able to park and get out of the cars easily. We finished this project in the fall of 1999.
Rebuilding our kitchen and dining area.
This project has been put off long enough. Our kitchen is too damn small for my messy ways. We are gunna tear out some walls, move some walls, rip out old cabinets, put up new cabinets, rip out old plumbing, put in new plumbing, and the same with electric. Sure will be nice to have more than 5 feet of counterspace to work on. We finished this project in 2000. Everything was replaced as planned. Finished with natural Hickory cabinets and oak flooring.
Rebuild our lives.
Following the death of our children, the last thing you think of is losing your mate and pushing your friends away. Your grief is so deep it is an easy thing to do. We've made it for seven years now. Some of the memories are as if they happened yesterday. Heather was a "WalMart" girl - Her grave site is overlooking the Super Wal Mart that has just opened in Sparta. The "year of firsts" (my Quote) was the most difficult. Our first everything without them. Matthew's birthday, Thanksgiving, Holly's birthday, dad's birthday, mom's birthday, Christmas, New years, Heathers birthday, Valentines day, Dalton's birthday, and Faith's birthday, and now they have all passed five times. But among them, the worst four, the days of their death and the days of their funerals. Please God continue to give us the strength.
Work on this Web Page.
This little bit of work has been most enjoyable for me. Yesterday, I was completely ignorant of writing in HTML, and today I have a page on the Web. Thanks to GEOCITIES for their generous space, and thanks to Bill Gates and Word for Windows for its HTML editing abilities.
Our families are from the midwest.
Mark's early life.
Mark was born and raised in central Wisconsin, one of seven children to Harold and Viola Mattke. He was born in Woodruff, moved to his mothers family farm in Gilman when he was about three. The family then moved to Medford, Wi where they lived for about 3 years. Mark attended school in a one room school house until the new school was completed in about 1957 or so. The family moved to Cadott for a few years then on to Stanley for a couple of years. They moved then to Royal Center, Indiana where Mark graduated from high school in 1967. The family made one more move to Plymouth, Indiana where he met his sweetheart Barbara and married. They have been married (Very Happily Most of the time) since June 14, 1969.
Barbara's early life.
Although I have all of this information, Barbara is a little more of a private person and did not want me to put her personal information for all to see.
Their Lives together
Mark and Barbara were married on June 14, 1969 in Plymouth, Indiana at St Michaels Catholic Church. They spent a short honeymoon in a vacation cottage at Koontz Lake, Indiana. (We never made it to the beach.)
Mark was in the Army and had finished Basic Training and Advanced Training by this time. He had to leave on his first assignment in Germany only one week after their wedding. His first assignment carried them to the town of Pirmasens, W. Germany where Mark worked as a mechanic in the motor pool and Barbara kept house in their apartment in Meunchweiler, W. Germany. They met many friends both American and German. If you were one of them and wish to regain contact, our e-mail is in the Contacts section of this page. Their assignment in Pirmasens was a short one, after only one year, Mark had been promoted and was moved to an advanced mechanics position in Kaiserslautern, W. Germany.
Kaiserslautern was also an exciting time for Mark and Barbara. Their first child Heather Kay was born there on January 28, 1971. Mark worked as a heavy equipment mechanic rebuilding equipment coming out of Vietnam. Barbara kept their apartment in the Vogelweh housing area ship shape, took care of Buttons their dog and glowed during her first time pregnancy. About a year and a half following Heather's birth in June of 72, the family returned to the United States and were stationed at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. Mark continued to work as a diesel engine mechanic and Barb continued to take care of Heather, Mark, and Buttons. Following almost continual respiratory illnesses and countless trips to Doctors both military and civilian, a USAR Dr. on Annual Training at the Ft. Belvoir hospital finally diagnosed Heather with Cystic Fibrosis in October of 1972. Trips were numerous to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to obtain treatment for Heather.
Mark was promoted again to Staff Sergeant and following a change of his primary duties, the family returned to W. Germany with Barbara pregnant with their second child. Holly was born in the Bad Constadt Hospital on November 6, 1974. Holly was diagnosed at six weeks with Cystic Fibrosis and the family was Medically Evacuated back to the states with another assignment to Ft. Belvoir, VA.
Our lives took on an almost predictable sequence, "home to hospital" over and over again.
We were reassigned to Recruiting Command and stationed in Grand Rapids, MI from August 1976 to September 1979. More hospital stays and more illness. Never ending battle. Pills by the hundreds, medicine that tasted like vomit smells, physical therapy, postural drainage, hospital stays... through it all, these two wonderful little girls kept smiling, kept having fun, kept living and kept bringing joy to those who loved them.
Another move, this time on a tour to Korea, alone. Barb and kids living in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and seeing the Doctors at the University of Wisconsin hospital. The sequence was never changing, only now for the next year, Barb had to do it all alone. What a powerful presence. She was magnificent. All I could do was wait to get home to my babies. Tour complete, reassignment to Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin.
First time I ever got an assignment that I asked for. Working now as the installation Personnel Sergeant. A challenge and an opportunity to excell for me, the same stuff for the girls and Barb. A place we had been looking at for four years went on the market. Our offer was accepted and we moved to our final location in May of 1984. Five acres of woodland, mostly covered with about 3 feet of the previous owners stuff. We hauled and burned for the entire summer and finally had our "Place".
Retired from the Army on November 1, 1988, NEW LIFE! Worked as a small engine repairman for Our Own Hardware in Sparta, a maintenance man for Monroe County, then as an electricians helper for Arc Electric in Tomah. Finally, a civilian job back at Ft. McCoy in my field. I wrote the necessary plans and developed procedures to mobilize about 350 United States Army Reserve and United States Army National Guard Units during national emergencies.
Additionally, I was responsible for planning, developing, and executing annual mobilization exercises, plan, develop, and host conferences and training for Unit Commanders and their Staff Members, developed and presented up to Dept of the Army level briefings.
I retired again after 15 years as a civilian. What a turn of events for me.
Our lives remained much the same with hospital stays and periods at home. There were many joys along with the sadness and the tense periods. Holly remained healthy enough to remain in school and graduate with honors. Heather was not well enough to finish High School. Heather got married and then sadly, divorced. Heather met a very nice young man, Scott Neidfeldt from Bangor. They purchased a house in Bangor and were very happy for a few years, then the health problems began to take their toll. Too much to bear and the sadness of a break up. Holly by this time had met, been courted by, and married a young Army Captain, George Wheelock.
Both girls had a great deal of difficulty carrying children but both wanted very much to be moms. The load on their bodies was too much. They went downhill medically very quickly. Both were on the lung transplant list for about a year. Holly got new lungs on June 10, 1998 and passed away from complications on June 24, 1998. Her death was we think more than Heather could bear. She began slipping very quickly and followed her sister on August 13, 1998.
Our lives begin anew with three grandchildren to love and care for. A wonderful legacy our children have left, I only wish they were here to enjoy it.
I would suppose my personal interests run from my grandchildren, to my wife, to motorcycle riding, to theater, to fishing, and finally to shooting. I enjoy other things as well though, among them are woodworking, mechanics, gardening, and just putzing. What a life.
My personal interests start with my grandchildren, go to my husband, my business, driving my convertible, taking care of our home, and working in the yard. Like Mark, I also have other things I like to do, like neddlepoint stitchery, crotcheting, fishing, and reading.
Last Revised: February 21, 2006