Dolores Mary “Matt” (Mattingly) Hilpertshauser, 97, formerly of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and Green Valley, Arizona, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson, Arizona. She was preceded in death by her first husband of 55 years, Jacob Carl “Jake” Hilpertshauser (2008) and her second husband of 11 years, Richard “Dick” Degen (2023).
Matt received her degree in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was a proud member of the Kappa Delta sorority. It was there that she met and fell in love with Jake. They married in 1952.
A devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, wife and friend, Matt lived a life rooted in faith, service, and community. She worked for many years at Prange’s Corporate Office as Executive Assistant and later at Lakeland College, where she formed lasting friendships and helped the institution grow into what is now Lakeland University.
Matt had a tender heart for animals and a lifelong love of gardening. As a member of the Town and Country Garden Club of Sheboygan County, she created beauty wherever she lived, from lush Wisconsin gardens to a vibrant desert oasis in Arizona. Cultivating these gardens and caring for animals reflected her nurturing spirit, and she joyfully shared both with family, friends, and neighbors. Her generous spirit was also evident in her volunteer work with The Mead Public Library, The John Michael Kohler Arts Center, The Sheboygan Service Club, Fresh Meals on Wheels, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, the White Elephant Thrift Store, and her beloved parishes, Our Lady of the Valley in Green Valley and St. Clement Catholic Church in Sheboygan. She was a woman of deep faith whose quiet strength and steady kindness touched many lives.
She is survived by her three children with her first husband Jacob Hilpertshauser: John (Renee) Hilpertshauser of Stone Mountain, Georgia; Mark (Anita) Hilpertshauser of Milton, Georgia; and Mary (Sean Lacey) Hilpertshauser of Decatur, Georgia. She is also survived by five grandchildren, a great-grandchild, other relatives, and many dear friends.
A Memorial Service for Matt will be held on Friday, July 3, 2026, at 10:00am at St. Clement Catholic Church, 522 New York Ave., Sheboygan, with Fr. Nick Baumgardner officiating. Inurnment to follow at Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum. Relatives and friends may visit with the family on Thursday, July 2, 2026, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Olson Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 1132 Superior Ave., Sheboygan.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor Matt’s memory through a charitable donation to an organization close to your heart or by arranging for a Mass to be offered in her name.
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