CALDWELL — E. Frances "Cricket" Matthews, 91, of Caldwell, passed away Monday (January 29, 2018) at Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center in Cambridge.
She was born Nov. 16, 1926 in her current home in Noble County, a daughter of the late Raymond Buckey and Cecil Hickle Buckey Rayner.
Cricket loved her family and spending time with all of them. She enjoyed reading and could finish a whole book in a day. She was an entrepreneur, having many business ventures over the years. Most recently she could often be seen making the rounds with her husband Gene at work for her company, Cricket’s Snacks.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her first husband, Brady Miller; step-father, Everett Rayner; grandson, Jason Earl Staley; great-granddaughter, Tiffany Dawn Morris; brother, Earl Buckey; and infant sister, Maxine Buckey.
Those left to cherish her memory are her husband of over 65 years Gene W. Matthews, whom she married Oct. 4, 1952; five children, Kathy (Ray) DeVolld of Pataskala, Brady R. (Fiancée Gerry Rossiter) Miller, Allen (Denise) Matthews, Leonard E. (Fiancée Linda Todd) Matthews, all of Caldwell, Jim (Margaret) Matthews of St. Joseph, MI; nine grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; brother, Clifford (Patty) Buckey of Cambridge; and many extended family, nieces, nephews and friends.
The family will receive friends for visitation Wednesday, Jan. 31, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chandler Funeral Home, 609 West St., Caldwell, OH 43724. A funeral service will be Thursday, Feb. 1, at 11 a.m. in the Chandler Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor David Cater and Pastor Jim Matthews co-officiating. The service will conclude at the funeral home and inurnment will be at a later date in Halley’s Ridge Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Belle Valley Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 16, Belle Valley, OH 43717. To offer words of comfort to the family, please visit the funeral home’s web site at www.ChandlerFuneralHome.net, find us on Facebook or by calling our caring staff at (740) 732-1311.