Obit – Mrs. Cornell Matthews
Mrs. Cornell Matthews, a homemaker of the Graveltown Community, died at the Smith County Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage, where she had made her home since September 9, 2011, at 5:24 a.m. Thursday morning December 17, 2020 four months and two days before her 100th birthday.
Mrs. Matthews was at the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home. Bro. Jimmy Gregory officiated at the 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon December 20th graveside services in the Garden of the Cross at the Smith County Memorial Gardens and burial followed beside her husband.
Mrs. Matthews was one of two daughters and two sons and was born Rachel Cornell Hance on April 29, 1921 in Gainesboro the daughter of the late James M. (Jim) Hance who died February 25, 1965 at the age of 74 and the late Amanda Myrtle Newberry Hance who died November 18, 1995 one month and twenty six days before her 100th birthday.
An infant sister, Ellie M. Hance preceded her in death at the age of one year, six months and sixteen days on July 9, 1925 and two brothers, William Harrison (Bill) Hance who died at the age of 88 on December 24, 2006 and Robert Hance who died at the age of 89 on January 5, 2018.
On February 7, 1953 she was united in marriage to Ashhopper Hollow Community native Fred Lee Matthews. He preceded her in death on April 30, 2002 at the age of 80 following over forty nine years of marriage. They never had any children but as can be seen in the survivors below they had a great extended family.
Mrs. Matthews was a non-denominational Christian.
Surviving are her caregivers, great-niece Michelle Waggoner Hudson and husband Jeff of the Defeated Creek Community and Old Kemp Hollow Lane neighbor, Leanne Kemp Hesson of the Graveltown Community; nieces, Retta Matthews Waggoner and husband John Waggoner Jr. of South Carthage, Joyce Hance Webb and husband Morty of Ohio; great-great-nieces, Taylor Brunson and Piper Slagel of Gardendale, Alabama; great-nephews, Robert Waggoner and wife Amy Dennis Waggoner of Gordonsville, Michael Rodgers of Montgomery, Alabama, Marvin Rodgers and wife Vanessa of Newnan, Georgia, Danny Ward and wife Josie of Oshkosh, Wisconsin and Ronnie Ward of Greensburg, Indiana.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
