Priscilla Matuska

Priscilla (Kris) Lenora Frank Matuska  

Priscilla (Kris) Matuska, 92, peacefully joined her Heavenly Father on November 22,  2022, leaving behind countless friends and family. Born August 3, 1930, to Peter and  Portia Frank, Priscilla was raised as one of six children on a small farm in Olivia,  Minnesota. Her nickname, Kris, came about when people misheard “Pris” as “Kris”,  and she became tired of correcting them.  

Kris joined in Heaven her husband of 60 years, Ralph Matuska, and their infant son,  Brian Matuska. She is survived by her sons Paul (Theresa) Matuska and Richard  Matuska, and daughter Nancy (Peter) Tuttle. She is also survived by grandchildren  Sarah Tuttle, Beth Tuttle, John Tuttle, Jesse Matuska, and Anna Trafny, and great grandchild, Miles Trafny.  

Although she had been a resident of Boulder City since 2014, Kris lived all over the  United States. As a young woman she moved from the farm town of Olivia to  Minneapolis, the “Big City”, met her husband, Ralph, and started their family in 1953.  In 1973, they purchased a hunting / fishing resort in the small town of Baudette,  Minnesota, on the Canadian border, where the family lived out an early version of  Duck Dynasty. From Minnesota, they headed west to coastal Oregon and then Idaho,  finally retiring in Anza, California. Kris and Ralph spent many happy years together  in their hilltop hacienda, until Ralph’s passing in 2013. She finally moved to Boulder  City to be closer to her son Paul and grandchildren. 

Kris embraced every challenge of her long and happy life, collecting a wealth of friends wherever she lived. Although her formal education began in a one room  schoolhouse, and ended in a small-town high school, she successfully ran a fishing  resort, was a school librarian, and managed a Denny’s restaurant, among other  accomplishments. Kris always found time for her passions; painting, gardening, and  traveling to visit family and friends. She was an enthusiastic volunteer with hospitals,  churches, schools, and theaters wherever she lived. In Boulder City, she was a  member of the Boulder City Methodist Church and had over 500 hours as a volunteer in the gift shop of the Boulder City Hospital, stopping only at age 89 when Covid protocol prohibited hospital visitors.  

Those who knew Kris will fondly remember her as a truly fun and creative soul. She  was a positive person who was an absolute joy to be around. She will also be  remembered as a very giving person who never uttered an unkind word about  anyone. 

Kris attributed her longevity to two mottos: “Love your children and they will love  you back” and “Make many friends, of all ages.” A celebration of her life will be held early in 2023 in Boulder City, Nevada. She will be interred in Fort Snelling National  Cemetery in the summer of 2023, alongside her husband and son. 

To celebrate her legacy of helping others, in lieu of flowers, the Matuska family  requests that donations be made to Boulder City Lend-A-Hand, 400 Utah Street,  Boulder City, NV 89005 (www.lendahandbouldercity.org). And then take a friend out  for lunch.  

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