Henrietta "Retta" Baker Mathews

Visitation will be held Monday, July 13, 2026 at 10am with services following at 11am at Hill Crest Memorial Chapel in Haughton, Louisiana with Rev. Fr. Karl Daigle officiating. A private family service will be held at a later date to allow for out-of-town family members’ travel arrangements.

The baby of the family and self-proclaimed favorite of her father, Retta met her life-long love, Arthur J Mathews, Jr. at the age of 17 while she was a freshman at Northwestern State University and married him a year later. Together they raised 5 boys, and the military life took her, Whitey, and their growing family to many places: Germany, The Philippines, Italy, the Pentagon, South Carolina, Virginia, and more, finally settling down in Bossier City, LA.

Retta’s greatest joy in life was raising her sons, and she accomplished that over a span of 35 years. She was the mom who always had an open door and hot meal for her boys and their friends. It wasn’t uncommon to find a teenage boy band practicing in her garage or a group of boys working on cars in the driveway. She particularly delighted in making commissary runs for their favorite snacks – so long as they helped her unload the bags from the car!

Retta loved making people laugh and would dress up as the Easter Bunny, Dr Quack Quack, and Mrs. Claus to bring joy to those around her. She participated in the Senior Olympics and enjoyed bowling and pitching horseshoes. On Sundays during football season, you could find her at home cheering on her New Orleans Saints. While Whitey was still alive, they were very active with the Knights of Columbus and its Ladies’ Auxiliary. A renown decorator, she wasn’t afraid to decorate anything that was standing still long enough for her to do so! Retta loved to read, play cards with her friends, do flower arranging, write poetry, and go to neighborhood garage sales. She was always personalizing gift bags and cards for her friends and loved ones. She particularly enjoyed her monthly birthday club luncheons with her friends, where she would play “Happy Birthday” to each months’ honorees on her kazoo.

Retta is preceded in death by her beloved husband Arthur “Whitey” J. Mathews, Jr. She is survived by her son Dr. Jason C. Mathews (wife Dr. Lisa L. Mathews) of Benton LA., grandchildren Jackson N. Mathews (wife Katherine W. Mathews) of Plain Dealing, LA., and Savannah E. Mathews of Orlando, FL.; son Dr. Jeffrey C. Mathews (wife Dr. Kristine Coreil) of McKinney, TX, grandchildren Devon Mathews of Louisville, KY, and Lauren Mathews of Chicago, IL; son Arthur John Mathews of Bossier City; the W. Jerry Mathews family of Bossier City, LA; the W. Joseph Mathews family of Clinton, MS.; and special friend and caregiver Teresa Lambert of Zwolle, LA.

Special thanks to WK Bossier Hospice. Memorials in her memory can be made to Holy Angels or to the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus Bossier City #4873.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me…”