Meet Matti.
Mathias Nikola Martin was remembered as energetic, mischievous, competitive, animal-loving and completely at home in farm life.
A lot of life in nine years.
Family memorial material describes Matti as a farm hand, animal lover, fort builder, dirt-bike jumper, wrestler, runner and the kind of kid who was very hard to tie down.
Family and farm life
Matti grew up around the Martin family, Diamond M Ranch, livestock and the daily work that comes with animals and agriculture.
Animals and competition
He participated in 4-H and raised chickens for his first Junior Market Livestock project in 2009.
Always moving
Memories of Matti include Mount Marathon, cross-country skiing, wrestling and a constant appetite for competition and adventure.
A community loss
Matti died after a livestock accident at the Kenai Peninsula State Fair. The historical reporting is preserved through attributed summaries in the news archive.
Keep growing
Matti's name became connected to a larger effort to help young people experience agriculture, practical skills, community and belonging.