Mata Tellman

Mata Gail Tellman, 85, was born in Jefferson City, MO on May 16th, 1937. She passed away peacefully at her home in Morgan City, LA on December 31st, 2022, surrounded by her family. A Memorial Service will be held on January 13th, 5pm to 6pm, at Twin City Funeral home in Morgan City, LA.

Mata approached every day with enthusiasm and looking for a new experience to be a part of. Growing up in Jefferson City, MO, in the post WW2 era, she dreamed of warm, sunny beaches and endless summers. Her husband-to-be, Donald F. Tellman, proposed marriage while home on leave from the Navy base in San Diego, CA. He sent her a train ticket and away she went with only the clothes on her back. They met up in Yuma, AZ and were married for 63 years, until his passing. Together they had three boys, Larry Don, Roy Franklin and Douglas Lenard. That was the beginning of a lifetime of worldly travels that included nearly all 50 states and she loved the years she lived in Guam and Australia and traveled throughout the South Pacific.

When Don’s work brough her to Morgan City, LA she immediately fell in love with the area. She quickly became a part of the community and made it her last home. She was very active in charitable organizations in the area including the Marine Corp League and their Toys for Tots mission and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars. She loved contributing to the Morgan City Chamber of Commerce and all their charitable works.

Mata had a passion for cooking and won awards for her cheesecake creations. She wrote and published cookbooks entitled, “Eat the Good Stuff First”, which is exactly how she approached life. Mata was a key organizer and founding member of the Barbecue Competitors Alliance and the annual Bayou BBQ Bash Under the Bridge cooking competition and fund raiser.

Mata Tellman is survived by her sons, Larry Tellman (Charisse) and Roy Tellman (Janice); her sister, Sharon Rodeman (Paul); her grandchildren, Amera Tellman (Aaron Wilson), Norisse Misdary (John), Scott Ward and Steven Ward; her great-grandchildren, Caleb Tellman, Cyra Nelken, Kellen Misdary and Adalie Misdary; and her nieces, Lynne Ellen Kempker (Tim) and Leslie Ann Forbis (Jeff).

Mata Tellman was proceeded in death by her husband, Donald Tellman; her son, Douglas Tellman; her sister, Barbra Wolken; her parents, Roy and Alma Kaiser.

The family asks that, in leu of flowers, a donation be made to a charity she was passionate about, The Morgan City Marine Corp League chapter of Toys for Tots.

https://marinetoysfortots.salsalabs.org/2022marinetoysfortotscrowdfunding/p/matatellman/index.html