John Matich

John E. Matich, age 83, of Merrifield died September 30, 2019 at St. Joseph Medical Center, Brainerd. A celebration of John’s life will be at 1PM on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at the Brenny Family Funeral Chapel in Baxter. Visitation will be one hour prior to the celebration on Saturday at the funeral home in Baxter.

John was born on February 3, 1936 in Brainerd to Jack and Amanda (Johnson) Matich. He drove truck for many years for Arctic Cat and their racing team, and later owned and operated the Wagon Wheel in Merrifield until his retirement. John enjoyed his annual trips to the rodeo in Ten Sleep, Wyoming with friends. He was known for his big heart and adoring his animals- especially Peanut. John loved his garden as well, which grew bigger every year. He loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and any football game he could watch.

John is survived by his daughter, Sandra; son, Danny; stepchildren, Devern Van Horn, Julie (Lee) Winkler; siblings, Mabel Anderson, Myrtle Gnahn, Jim (Bev) Matich, Don (Wendy) Matich, along with many grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jack “Jake”; mother, Amanda; brother, Arthur; son, Randy; and granddaughter, Autumn.