Longtime Turkey Creek Community resident and Macon County native, Mrs. Jessica Massey Matthews died at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday morning June 11, 2025 at the Smith County Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage where she had made her home only since April 29th. She was 75.
Her graveside services and interment were conducted Friday afternoon June 13th at 3 p.m. at the Ridgewood Cemetery. Bro. Michael Cowan officiated with burial following in Section five at Ridgewood Cemetery.
Born Jessica Yvonne Massey in Lafayette on August 23, 1949, she was the oldest of four children of the late Jessie Beasley Massey Jr. who died at the age of 77 on April 10, 1999 and Dorothy Emogene Taylor Massey who died at the age of 75 on February 23, 2000.
She was the widow of Turkey Creek Community native, Gayle Ceron Matthews to whom she was married January 30, 1971. He preceded her in death on June 9, 2013 at the age of 72 following forty- two years of marriage.
Mrs. Massey was a 1967 graduate of Macon County High School.
Mrs. Massey was saved at the age of ten at the Meadorville Missionary Baptist Church under the preaching of Eld. F. W. Lambert.
At the time of her death, she was a member of the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in South Carthage.
Mrs. Matthews was an accomplished cook and enjoyed baking.
She was a former employee at the Smith County Senior Citizens Center.
Surviving is her only child, a daughter, Martha Renie Matthews of Carthage, two sisters, Teresa Massey Pope and husband Billy of Smyrna, Tammy Massey Sells of Lafayette; brother, Stanley Massey and wife Jennie of LaVergne; caregivers, Brenda Green Parr of the Turkey Creek Community, Deanna Woodard Cowan and husband Bro. Michael Cowan of the Elmwood Community.
