Ilene Mattern

Ilene Barbara Mattern, the daughter of Sebastian and Kathrine (Kurtz) Black was born on October 4, 1944 in Rugby North Dakota. She died with family by her side on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at the Heart of America Living Center in Rugby, North Dakota.

Ilene was the oldest of five children which brought the honor of being her dad’s main helper while growing up. Ilene graduated from Towner High School. On May 18, 1963 she married the love of her life, Claytus Mattern, at St. Anselm’s Catholic Church in Fulda, North Dakota, once he finally arrived, 30 minutes late. Following their marriage she and Claytus were blessed with their three oldest boys. Vince, Lawrence, and LeRoy were taught that hard work comes before play, though they still made plenty of time to have fun along the way. A number of years later, God thought he finally needed to teach Ilene about true patience, and Steven was born. Ilene was so proud of all of her boys. She would often say her and Claytus weren’t blessed with a lot of money, but they were blessed to have kids that are kind to others and are always willing to lend a helping hand, and that was all the riches she needed.

Ilene had numerous jobs throughout her life including working as a nurse’s aid and welfare worker. Additionally, she worked side by side with Claytus on the farm and also in their butcher shop which they operated for 40 years. Together they made and donated countless pounds of sausage for benefits and other events in and around Rugby. Ilene also helped babysit her grandchildren throughout the years, teaching them the proper length to cut butcher tape and the correct way to clean a shop. While these may not have been true life lessons, the team work, patience, and work ethic they developed were next to none. Eventually, Ilene was called to care for Claytus throughout his years of illness. She took this job very seriously giving him shot glasses full of shaklee vitamins and keeping all of his medical information well organized. On October 23, 2020, Claytus passed away, leaving a void in her life that was difficult to fill.

Through the ups and downs of marriage, children, and work, she also made time for her faith. Together, her and Claytus helped with premarital counseling classes, SEARCH retreats, and the Cursillo in Harvey and Belcourt. Ilene was also a member of the local Society of St. Vincent De Paul and Christian Mothers as well as volunteering to teach religious education to youth. She spent time teaching her grandchildren their prayers and continued to pray her rosary regularly. Ilene’s great faith allowed her to be accepting of her death knowing that she would soon be in Paradise.

Ilene is survived by her four sons, Vince (Dana) and Lawrence (Debbie) of Rugby, Steven (Vita) of Barton, and LeRoy of Willow city; 10 grandchildren, Rachael, Ashley (Michael), Erica (Keith), Christy (Lee), Matthew (Hailey), Carson, Katelyn, Tyler, Jesse, and Aleah; 13 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Linda Polanchek of Dickinson and Joan (Virgil) Voeller of Mandan; one brother, Mike (Deb) Black of Rugby; several nieces, nephews, and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband, Claytus; sister, Eunice (Harold) Venstad; brother-in-law, Gordon Polanchek; and her parents.

Mass of Christian burial was held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, May 7 at Little Flower Catholic Church in Rugby with burial in the church cemetery.

Casketbearers: Matt Mattern, Carson Mattern, Tyler Mattern, Jesse Mattern, Neil Black, Alan Black and Mike Black

Arrangements with the Anderson Funeral Home. Online Condolences: www.funeralsbyanderson.com

Published by The Pierce County Tribune, May 9, 2026.