Matthew Michael Ertel, age 44, having completed all the tasks laid out for him by GOD the Father, was called home to his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. He was born in Sheboygan on February 27, 1981, to Teresa and Steven Ertel. Matthew grew up in Sheboygan, graduating from Sheboygan Lutheran High School in 1999, and completed his schooling at Lakeshore Technical College, having earned 3 Associates Degrees.
Matthew was a valued member of his team at Walmart in Sheboygan until health issues brought an end to his employment. Over the years, he worked unloading trucks, stocking in the dairy case, assisting those that needed help with self-checkout, and helping out in the liquor store. He was best known for having such a warm and welcoming smile as a greeter, a job he looked forward to doing the most.
Most important to Matthew was his faith in GOD and his love for family and friends. He will always be a cherished member of the Sheboygan Evangelical Free Church, where he continued his joy of greeting those entering the building with hugs and smiles. His passion was to grow in his faith and to share that excitement he had telling others about his Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Teri and I would often smile as Matthew would be brushing his teeth or doing other tasks, as we could hear him talking. He would be reciting scripture verses to remind himself of the faithfulness and goodness of GOD. He will be missed by all those that had the privilege of meeting him, even though he had a life filled with difficulties and struggles.
Surviving Matthew are his loving parents, Teri and Steve; his aunts and uncles, Mike and Allie Boeselager of Maribel, WI and Pat (Jim) Smith of Kewaskum, WI. He is further survived by his cousins Adam (Lyndsey) Boeselager, Stephanie (Ross) Lewis, Nicole (Doug) Hiatt, and Ruben (Rachel Conway) Oppermann, as well as many other relatives and friends.
Matthew is preceded in death by his brother Andrew Ertel; his paternal grandparents Richard Ertel and Shirley (Ed) Zastrow; his maternal grandparents Omar and Gladys Boeselager; his uncle Ruben Oppermann; and his infant cousins David and Steven Boeselager.
A funeral service will be held at the Sheboygan Evangelical Free Church, 1710 N. 15th St., Sheboygan, on Monday, July 21, 2025 at 3:00 p.m., with Pastor Jon MacDonald officiating. Relatives and friends may visit with the family from 12:00 p.m. until the time of service at the church. For those unable to attend, there will be a livestreaming of the service online through the church’s YouTube channel. The link for livestreaming can be found by visiting the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSZNvPh1_g8 or by visiting YouTube.com and typing Sheboygan E-Free Church Matthew Ertel in the search bar.
Burial will take place at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Sheboygan immediately following the services.
The family would like to thank the heroic efforts of the Sheboygan Fire Department and the Sheboygan Police Department, with extra love going out to the nurses of the 5th floor ICU at St. Nicholas Hospital over these last weeks.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to FFHM (Foundation for HIS ministry), an orphanage in Vincente Guerraro, Baja, Mexico. Please visit www.ffhm.org to donate online. This was a place Matthew loved going to every year. Memorial may also be made to the Awana Scholarship Fund at the Sheboygan E-Free Church. Checks for the Awana Scholarship may be made to the Sheboygan Evangelical Free Church, with the memo: “Matthew Ertel Memorial Fund.”
Zimmer Westview Funeral Home is assisting the family. Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting our website at www.zimmerfuneralhome.com.
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