Florence Jean Mathews

Florence Jean “Jeannie” (Coggeshall) Mathews was born in Williamsburg, Indiana, on January 3, 1926. She was the last child of Carl George and Blanche Lamb (Manning) Coggeshall and grew up in Fountain City, Indiana. At the age of 15, she met her husband, Thomas James “Jim” Mathews (from Richmond, Indiana) at the local skating rink. Soon after, she went to Richmond to buy shoes for cheerleading and Jim was working as a salesman at the shoe store. That second meeting sealed the deal and they never dated anyone else after he put those shoes on her feet. Jean graduated from Fountain City High School in 1943, and then worked at the Perfect Circle Piston Ring Factory to support the WWII effort. Jean and Jim were married on October 7, 1944, at Shaw Field in Georgia, as Jim had joined the Air Force to be a pilot as soon as he graduated from high school. Jean lovingly and dutifully followed Jim wherever his career led them, which included tours in Alaska and Germany. Along the way they had three adored daughters, Valorie, Susie and Libby. The Air Force fostered a love for the traveling gypsy life. After retiring in 1970, Jean and Jim lived in Sun Lakes, Arizona, and traveled the U.S. with friends and family—first on motorcycles and later in motor homes—for many happy years. When Jim passed away in February 2002, Jean came home again to her Indiana roots and lived with her daughter, Libby, in Carmel for ten years, bringing the gift of her sweet, generous spirit and those twinkly, bright blue smiling eyes. She also had a fun and feisty side, was always ready for adventure and loved to dance, dance, dance! Jean peacefully passed away at home on February 25, 2012. With Jim, those awaiting her with open arms and great rejoicing on the other shore include her seven siblings, daughters Valorie (Mathews) Bingham and Susie (Mathews) Kulm, niece Barbara Finch Edwards (and John Edwards), and nephew Charles Robert "Bob" McCune. She is survived in Indiana by daughter Libby Mathews (and Mike Calvert), grandson Jesse Shirley (and Jovana San Nicolas-Shirley) and their daughter Lilyana, grandson Casey Shirley (and Marissa Cleland) and their son Liam, step-grandson Andrew Calvert (and Mandy Carrow), nephew Bob's wife Priscilla McCune, niece Joyce McCune Sommers (and Bob Davis), nephew Mike McCune (and Sandy McCune), niece Peggy Keene Thompson (and Frank Thompson), niece Marilyn Stanford Helms, and numerous beloved great, as well as, great-great nieces and nephews. There are also six more grandchildren and eleven more great-grandchildren in Nevada, Massachusetts, Idaho and Colorado plus more family and friends scattered far and wide. The family expresses gratitude to Jerri Pettijohn, Jean's in-home caregiver for the past year and a half, and to St. Vincent Hospice, also a great help in the last few months. Many thanks to Joy's House and Sarah Care for providing loving adult daycare over the past few years. As Jean suffered with Alzheimer's, her family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her name to the local Alzheimer's Association office at 50 East 91st St., Ste. 100, Indianapolis, IN 46240. A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held this Sunday, March 18, at 4 p.m. in the chapel at Northview Christian Life, 131st and Hazel Dell in Carmel. For food and fellowship afterward, the family invites everyone to Libby and Mike's home in Carmel (maps will be available at the service). Condolences may be offered at www.feeneyhornakkeystone.com