Obituary

Elsie (Berg) Matula (1917 2012) went home to be with her Lord on June 12th at the age of 95. A celebration of the life of this beloved servant of God will be held Wednesday June 20th at 11:00 AM at the Pleasant Hill Church of the Brethren, in Johnstown PA, where Elsie was a lifelong member. Viewing with family at Hindman Funeral Homes and Crematory, Inc., 146 Chandler Ave., Johnstown, Tuesday June 19th 2 to 4 and 6 to 8pm.

Mrs. Matula was born February 20, 1917 in Johnstown Pennsylvania, daughter of Rella (Link) and Robert Berg. She was licensed as a minister of the Church of the Brethren in 1933, graduated from Johnstown High School in 1934 and attended Bethany Biblical Seminary in Chicago.

Elsie was a proficient elocutionist. Her humorous and spiritual monologues and her picture studies of Sallman’s paintings of Christ and His disciples have delighted and inspired thousands of people over the years. She often served as interim speaker for a number of churches in the Johnstown area, particularly the Hooversville Church of the Brethren, and she was active in Child Evangelism for many years. One of her great joys was fellowshipping and serving at the Church of the Brethren retreats and camp meetings at Camp Harmony.

Elsie and her husband Charles lived a life of daily service to God and to others. They contributed to the founding of a mission church in Ambridge, Pennsylvania as well as the Riverside Grace Brethren Church in Johnstown, and throughout their entire married life their spoken testimony and their trumpet and vocal duets were in demand for church or senior events. They led many people to know the Lord as personal Savior and consistently taught others about Him by their words and by the example of their lives. They relocated to Ford City in 1998 to be close to daughter Judi who has been the loving and faithful family care-giver since that time.

Mrs. Matula was preceded in death by her precious husband Charles, brothers Harry and Frank Berg, sister Lucy (Berg) King, son-in-law William Hoffman and dear friend Blanche Vickroy. She is survived by sisters Jean Cook and Janet Berg; daughter Darlene Mack and husband Bob of Arroyo Grande California; daughter Judi (Hoffman) Ayars of Ford City and Muncy, Pennsylvania; son Keith Matula and fiance, Carol Cain of San Francisco; grandchildren Randy Hoffman, Susan Blanks, Christopher Johnson and Wendy (Hoffman) Raviotta; great-grandchildren Olivia Blanks and Kate Johnson; numerous nephews and nieces and a host of brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Arrangements in care of the Hindman Funeral Homes and Crematory, Inc., 146 Chandler Ave. “Exclusive Provider of Veterans and Family Memorial Care.”