Rev. David and Dennice Matson

A Celebration of Life for Rev. David Matson and his wife, Dennice, of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, August 27th, at Bethel Assembly Church in Fosston with Pastor Seth Johnson officiating. Family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service on Friday at the church. Rev. David passed away on October 30, 2020, and Dennice passed away July 20, 2021. They will be interred together at Mamre Cemetery, rural Fosston. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Fosston and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com.

David Gordon Matson was born on August 29, 1940, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to parents Joseph and Margaret Matson.  The Matsons served as missionaries in China until the communists took over. In 1953, Joseph answered a call to pastor a church in Veteran, Alberta, Canada. This is where David spent his teenage years. His parents returned to the missionary field now in Taiwan in 1957 and David stayed in Veteran working on a couple of farms.

In the fall of 1960, David entered the Full Gospel Bible Institute in Eston, Sask where he met his future wife, Dennice Bond.  He graduated in 1963 and joined his parents in ministry in Taiwan.

Dennice Marlene Bond was born on August 10th 1939, to parents Colin and Nellie in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada where she grew up. After attending the Full Gospel Bible Institute in Eston, Sask, she also became a missionary in Taiwan.

David and Dennice shared a heart for missions and soon a love for each other.  They were married in Chiayi, Taiwan on May 19th, 1966. To this union were born three children, Pamela Robin, Lynette Gail and Wesley David.  David and Dennice were not strangers to sorrow as Pamela passed away as an infant on the mission field on March 27th 1972.  Lynette passed away from complications of diabetes on March 27th 2003 while living in Canada.

Together, David and Dennice vigorously served the Lord for over 50 years as missionaries to the Chinese in Taiwan. Dennice learned to speak Taiwanese and David Mandarin Chinese and they made a great team together.  Dennice was musical playing the piano and had great gift for cooking and hospitality.  David eventually took over leadership of the Taiwan Full Gospel Mission from his father.  David’s wisdom and warm and gentle spirit served him well giving general leadership to the pastors of the various Taiwan churches of the Taiwan Full Gospel Fellowship.

As David and Dennice grew older and health issues arose, they spent more time in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where they had a home and also some in Fosston, MN.  They continued to travel back to Taiwan several times a year with Dennice eventually staying in Moose Jaw when no longer able to travel.

David passed away unexpectedly on October 31st, 2020 and Dennice passed away on July 20th, 2021.

They are survived their one son, Wesley; David’s sister, Christine Hanson of Fosston and Dennice’s sister Ardath of Edmonton, Alberta.

They were preceded in death by their baby daughter, Pamela; daughter, Lynette; David’s brother Wallace and both sets of parents.