Betty J. Matthews

Theo “Betty” Jordan Matthews, passed from this life on March 8th 2014 after a brief illness. She was eighty-five at the time of her death, having been born in Shreveport, Louisiana on September 25, 1928 to Robert Clyde Jordan and Corrye (Webster) Jordan. Her parents both died before she turned eleven and her Aunt and Uncle, Esther and L.W. (Charlie) Campbell, helped her older sister, Bobette, raise her. She was pre-deceased by her parents, her Aunt and Uncle, and her guardians who were her sister and bother-in-law Bobette and Preston “Cotton” Jeter of Shreveport, LA as well as a half-brother Robert Clyde Jordan Jr.

Betty had been a resident of Sugar Land, Texas since May 2000 and lived in residence at Colonial Oaks First Colony for the last several years. Prior to 2000 she had been a long-time resident of Austin, Texas (1960 – 2000).

She was the widow of Preston Albert Matthews, a career Air Force officer, and had lived in a number of places including Colorado, Japan, South Dakota, Ohio, Labrador and finally Austin, Texas where they lived when he retired. They raised three children who survive them, Betty Keessen and husband Ernest of Sugar Land, Linda Stephens and husband Jeff of Boerne, Texas, and Preston Matthews and wife Donna of Pflugerville, Texas. She is also survived by grandchildren, Kathryn Chiappetta and husband Anthony, Garrett Keessen and wife Sheri, Kerry Nelson and husband Stanton, Scott Stephens and wife Cris, Kelly Tapia and husband Enrique and Cory Matthews, as well as great-grandchildren, Philip Chiappetta; Kaycee, Bryan, Tyler and Brienna Keessen; Winston, Preston and Ava Nelson; Julia and Lucas Stephens, Dominic Vega and Enrique (Ricky) and Sophie Tapia. Her niece Barbara Waddell and husband Wayne of Marietta, GA and nephew Bob Jeter of Shreveport, LA also survive her.

The family is especially thankful for the staff at Colonial Oaks First Colony who took such good care of Betty for these last several years. Anyone wishing to honor Betty is asked to make a donation to the Alzheimer Association.