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Esther N. Mathis of Beach Park, IL (formerly of Huntsville, AR) passed from Earthly to Heavenly sleep on May 24, 2016 at the age of 99. Esther was born Esther Nell Jones on November 14, 1916 to Elmer and Hallie Jones in Kansas. Esther was the second of four children, and the only daughter. She grew up in Pittsburg, KS, where her father was a professor at the Kansas State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University). She had fond memories of climbing trees, playing with friends and her brothers, gardening with her father, and birthday taffy pulls. After high school, Esther studied home economics at the University, where she met Clyde Mathis at a student dance. He walked up to her and asked, asked May I have the first dance, and the last dance, and the dance after that? They were married July 24, 1936 and enjoyed a 77-year adventure! Together they raised three children, Rosemary Louise, Carl Bruce, and Barbara Anne. After their children were grown, they went all over the world helping other countries set up petroleum chemical laboratories, as Clyde had done in the United States, with Phillips Petroleum Company. They lived and worked in Argentina, France, Brazil, Australia, and Japan. Upon Clyde's retirement in 1976, they purchased a mountaintop farm near Huntsville, Arkansas, where they raised acres of peaches, apples, and grapes. Every year, Esther won scores of blue ribbons at the Madison County Fair for her fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Esther was also active in the life of the Huntsville United Methodist Church. In 1997, Clyde and Esther sold their beloved farm and built a house in town. In May 2012, they moved to Beach Park, Illinois to live to live with their granddaughter and her family. Esther is survived by her daughter Rosemary L. Butterbaugh and son Carl B. (Rosemary) Mathis; grandchildren Laura (Steve Lindeman) Butterbaugh, Louise (Terrance) Herberger, Lucile Butterbaugh, Charles (Heather) Mathis, Chris (Nancy) Mathis, Eric (Andrea) Mathis, Anne Stander, and great-grandchildren Andrew (Anna) Mathis, Rachel Mathis, Elaine, Terra, and Margaret Herberger, Denly and Eleanor Butterbaugh Lindeman, and many nieces and nephews. Esther was preceded in death by her parents Elmer and Hallie Jones, her husband Clyde, her daughter Barbara Anne, son-in-law William H. Butterbaugh, and brothers and sisters-in-law Lawrence (Eleanor), Donald (Emelda), and Harold (Esther) Jones. Esther's family would like to extend abundant thanks to their friends at Guardian Hospice who guided her comfort and care during the last months of a long battle with Lewy Body dementia. Special thanks is expressed to Brigid, Nora, Susan, Annice, Suzanne, Cheryl, and Ingrid. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A. M. on June 7, 2016 at the Huntsville United Methodist Church with Reverend Rob Ernest officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 A. M. till service time at the church. Interment will be at the Mount Olive Cemetery in Pittsburg, KS on June 8, 2016 at 2:00 P. M under the direction of Brashears Funeral Home www.brashearsfuneralhome.net at Huntsville..

Tributes

Esther N. Mathis

November 4, 1916 - May 24, 2016