Maudie Louise Matthews

A service celebrating her life will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at Cedar Ridge Wesleyan Church with the Revs. Max Colaw and Ron Olson officiating under the direction of Anderson-Burris Funeral Home. Longtime Enid resident Maudie Matthews was both a peacemaker and a fighter. She was the cool head in a family full of strong personalities. All the while, she battled health issues. She beat cancer twice at a time when such victories were not as common as they are today. For years, she battled diabetes to a draw. But then came Alzheimer’s. Finally she met a foe she couldn’t handle. Maudie died on Saturday, August 8, 2015, at home with her husband Frank, two of her daughters, and a grandson by her side. Representatives of all of the generations of her family, a symbolic representation of the legacy of love she leaves behind. She knew the pain of losing a baby. She knew the effects of cancer. She constantly watched her sugar. But it rarely kept her from taking care of her family or in later years from having time for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Besides being a mom and housewife, she held down a variety of jobs at Groendyke, Enid State School, Koehring Speedstar, and George E. Failing Co. With Frank, she owned and operated Rogers Cleaners, and later, the A&W Drive-in. As a PBX operator and receptionist at Koehring Speedstar, her willingness to go beyond her job description earned her the title of assistant editor of the company's in-house Rig Bits publication. While Maudie was the conciliator, she could be tough. There was an incident that was recounted by her for an article in the Enid News & Eagle about the A&W. She was explaining how theft of the root beer mugs was a big problem and how she would go to great lengths (and probably at some risk) to get them back. She chased down one of a group of thieving teens to lay down the law. "I told them if the police got them, that mug would cost them $35. He said he was going to keep his mug until he heard that. He told all his friends the next day and they all came and turned in their mugs asking me not to go to police." She has was blessed with an uncommon amount of common sense. When her daughter, Denise, and her husband adopted twins, she offered some good advice that helped them to get through the 3 a.m. feedings. When one of them wakes up, she suggested, wake the other one up as well so that you aren’t having to get up constantly during the night. Simple but smart. That was Maudie. She and Frank accepted those babies despite their color and the fact they were sick. It was love at first sight and never any questions asked. In fact, it was said that Maudie had her own little United Nations with grandchildren from Nicaragua, the Philippines and even Alabama. Maudie liked to crochet and she enjoyed working in the church. She filled a variety of posts in the womens ministry at Cedar Ridge Wesleyan Church. She was known for her pickles. Her husband is known for the hamburgers he cooks on his grill. But they don’t taste quite the same without her pickles. Maudie Peterson Matthews was born on Aug. 11, 1938, in Shattuck, Okla., the daughter of Opal May Hayes Peterson and William Peter Peterson. As a child, she lived in several small towns before the family settled in Gage, Okla. She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter Shelley Dawn Matthews; great-grandson Gavin Prescott; brother Vernon Peterson; and sisters Avis Hart and Elva Smith. Maudie is survived by her husband; daughter Denise Sowders and her husband Dave of Humble Texas; son Robert Matthews and his wife Carmencita of Chesapeake, Virginia;and daughter Debbie Prescott of Enid, nine grandchildren: Jamie Prescott, Brian Prescott, Gilbert Brua, Matthew Sowders, Megan Sowders, A.J. Shires, Shelly Matthews, Mandy Sowders, and Macey Sowders; and eight great-grandchildren: Garrett Prescott, Layne Prescott, Keat Prescott, Brynnlee Prescott, Tristan Sowders, Kylie Sowders, Chloe Sowders, and Eve Sowders; sisters, Agnes Roedell and Ethel Barnes. Memorials may be made to Cedar Ridge Wesleyan Church or OMRF-Alzheimer’s Division.

Maudie Louise Matthews

August 11, 1938 - August 8, 2015