Woodward County Obituary
Elmwood Cemetery

© Billings Funeral Home
WOODWARD, WOODWARD CO, OK
(permission granted)
Submitted by: Ann Weber

GENNELLE MATHEWS

September 13, 1940 - January 11, 2018

Georgia Gennelle (Fullilove) Mathews took her last earthly breath on January 11, 2018 at the age of 77 at the Integris Hospice House in Oklahoma City. Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church of Woodward on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. under the direction of the Billings Funeral Home with Pastor Jeff Barros officiating. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. Visitation will be at the Billings Funeral Home in Woodward on Sunday, January 14th from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and Monday January 15th from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Georgia Gennelle (Fullilove) Mathews was born in the family home on September 13, 1940 to Erby and Nellie Z. (Gant) Fullilove in Carroll County, Mississippi. She graduated from Dublin High School in May 1959, where she was the Homecoming Queen. Gennelle was united in marriage to her lifelong love, Robert Myer Mathews on August 18, 1963. After they married, the couple resided in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where Gennelle worked at the First National Bank of Vicksburg. Robert and Gennelle were blessed with a son, Daniel, and two daughters, Andrea and Sharon.

The couple finally resided in Woodward, Oklahoma in 1977. Here they built their own home where Gennelle continued to reside. While her children were young, Gennelle worked at the Oak Park School cafeteria. Later, she became a long-time employee of Wal-Mart starting part time in 1981. Gennelle eventually became manager of the Wal-Mart in Cushing and then Newcastle. She later returned to the Woodward store as the Assistant Manager. In order to be able to spend more time with her family, Gennelle stepped down to an hourly associate until she retired in January 2011.

Gennelle had a passion for serving God, was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Woodward and enjoyed reading the Bible. Her church family was very special to her. She enjoyed working the kitchen preparing weekly meals for Awanas. She could also be found in the kitchen at Kid’s Camp and Vacation Bible School and serving at funeral dinners. Wherever there was a need, Gennelle would be there. She was the type of person who didn’t want a fuss made over anything she did. She took pleasure in helping when she could and providing what she could for everyone and anyone.

Gennelle’s other passion was her family. Her grandchildren were truly the apple of her eye. She enjoyed going to their activities and being apart of their lives in anyway she could. Gennelle also loved to travel. With her family, Gennelle enjoyed travels to Scotland, Hawaii and Canada. Her travels with her church family and friends took her on cruises and numerous road trips. From her journeys Gennelle brought back many fond memories and pictures, often of the flowers that she had seen. Gennelle liked to garden and her porch could be found with a variety of plants and flowers. Ever since the Oklahoma City Thunder came to Oklahoma, Gennelle claimed them as her team. She rarely missed a game and kept up with how the boys were doing, she would even have regular debriefings with her sister, Myrtis, on how the team had played. Gennelle enjoyed playing cards at the Senior Center. Her love for getting together to play card and board games was also something she enjoyed doing with her family, and has been something that all of her grandchildren looked forward to doing when going to Grandma’s. Of course, going to grandma’s also included being fed very well as Gennelle took pleasure in cooking for friends and family and was always ready to put on a pot of coffee or pour a glass of tea.

Gennelle was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Mathews, who she has now been reunited with after 32 years apart. Her parents, and brothers Kenneth, infant T.C., Carl, James William, Marvin, and Donnie Fullilove. She is survived by her son, Dan Mathews and wife Gail of Woodward, Oklahoma; daughters Sharon Mathews of Claremore, Oklahoma and Andrea Parsons and husband Bert of Tulsa, Oklahoma; sisters Leona Lane of Mobile, Alabama and Myrtis Holland and husband James of Greenville, Mississippi; grandsons Matthew Ivie of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jordan Ivie and Kassandra Hicks of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Robert Mathews and wife Montana of Guymon, Oklahoma and Owen Parsons of Tulsa, Oklahoma; granddaughters, Allison and Shannon Mathews of Woodward, Oklahoma and Mackyna Parsons of Tulsa, Oklahoma, great-granddaughter Nicole Hicks of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for memorial contributions be made through the funeral home to the First Baptist Church Bus Fund. Gennelle loved traveling with the Seniors of the Church and they can’t think of a better way to honor their mom than to see the Church utilizing the bus for Seniors, kids traveling to Falls Creek, or even on outings.