Harriet Evaline Matheson

Harriet (Hattie) Evaline Matheson, 90, was born at Louis, Oklahoma, November 30, 1915, the youngest of eleven children born to James and Claudia Murray. She was reared in the Frisco community near Goodwell, Oklahoma in the Panhandle during the Dust Bowl days and Great Depression. She lived most of her life since 1940 in Oklahoma City. She accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior in 1948 and remained a devout and dedicated Southern Baptist until the day of her departure to, in her words, 'be wonderfully united with the Lord and many loved ones.' She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Carl L. Matheson, one son, Carl Lee Matheson, and one grandson, Phillip Anthony Matheson, II. A longtime member of South Memorial Baptist Church, she served many years as an Adult Sunday School Teacher, director of Homebound Sunday School, director of Adult and Junior Sunday School, and director of the Women's Missionary Society. Also, in her later years she was a member of South Lindsay Baptist Church and Rancho Village Baptist Church. A great portion of her life was spent on the rigors of rearing a large family, cooking, cleaning, and caring for her children, patching clothes that were washed by hand with rough soap on a washboard, and doctoring the cuts, bumps and bruises produced daily by rambunctious boys. Five sons and one daughter survive her: Whitney Von Shoup and wife LaVera of Silver City, NM; Jerry and wife Betty of Edmond; Mandell and wife Karen of Tulsa; David and wife Nancy of Oklahoma City; Phillip and wife Priscilla of Oklahoma City; and daughter, Gayle Watkins and husband Greg of Euless, TX. Also, she is survived by twenty grandchildren, forty-two great grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren. Services will be in the chapel of Vondel L. Smith & Son Mortuary, 6934 S. Western, at 1:30 Tuesday, April 18. Visitation will be available prior to the service. Interment will be beside her husband at Resthaven Memory Gardens, 700 SW 104.