Albert James Matson

Albert James Matson, 61, of Yacolt, Washington, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his dear ones, on Sept. 13, 2023, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. 

Albert James Matson was born May 9, 1962, in Vancouver, Washington, to Charles and Sharon (Waldal) Matson. At the age of 9, he moved to Minnesota with his family. Al enjoyed fishing and hunting, but didn’t appreciate farm life quite so much. It forever cured him of raising cows. 

Albert was joined to Lois Niemela in holy matrimony on Aug. 13, 1983. They recently celebrated their 40th anniversary with their whole family on Big Pine Lake in his old hometown of Finlayson, Minnesota. 

In 1986, Al moved his family to his birth state of Washington and went to work pouring foundations for Uncle Howard Waldal. In 1989, Al and Lois purchased Howard’s business, Sierra Concrete, a residential foundation company in good standing in the Clark County area. In the ensuing 34 years, Al poured thousands of foundations, and he built a reputation for handling large custom homes with challenging presentations. His sharp mind, work ethic and integrity made him a valuable part of the residential construction industry. 

What did Al like? He was a wordsmith with a broad sense of humor, and he enjoyed playing games and reading good literature, especially sci-fi and fantasy. He loved country music; Waylon, Willie and the boys were his lifetime favorite artists. He was a passionate gunsmith, hunter education instructor and member of the benchrest community. Of late, producing videos for his YouTube channel fulfilled Al’s desire to express his opinions. 

Being raised in a Christian home, steadfast devotion to the truth defined Al’s life. The foundation upon which he stood was the Word of God, and Christ was faithful in preserving his confidence in the resurrection to the end. He was a lifetime member of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of America. 

Albert was preceded in death by his father, Chuck; his sister, Kathryn; his daughter, Kellie; and twin grandsons. He is survived by his wife, Lois and their eight children: Kevin (with Stephanie), of Hockinson; fiKarissa (with Levi Traffie), of Greer, South Carolina; Kieren fi(with Katrina), of Ridgefield; Kody (with Banner), of Greer, South Carolina; Kassidy (with Zach Helmes), of La Center; Kenzie (with Andrew Gedenberg), of Battle Ground; Kierce, of Greer, South Carolina; and Kasch, at home in Yacolt. Al adored his grandchildren: Evelynn, Amelia, Dane and Taavi; Cadence, Austin, and Raya; Jax; Tavia and Lydia; and two new grandbabies who are due in November and March. He is also survived by his mother, seven siblings and numerous nieces and nephews.