Obituary for Ivory Ozell Matthews (Bell)
Ivory Ozell Matthews passed away peacefully on September 29, 2019. Ozell was born to the late Dudley & Ida (Richmond) Bell on April 1, 1931 in Byhalia, Mississippi. She married the late John Cal Matthews on November 14, 1948. She attended school and Antioch Baptist Church in MS until moving to Battle Creek, MI in 1953. She joined Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in 1961 under the leadership of the late Earl F. Young. Ozell was active in church (Angelic Choir) until her health permitted her from doing so.
Ozell worked with the Battle Creek Public School system as a teachers aide for many years. She later worked in food service at the Battle Creek Sanitarium Hospital and then as a foster parent. Being a foster parent was the most rewarding to her. Working with kids has always been her passion. Her family was her life. She made several sacrifices for her children and that carried on with her grandchildren.
She leaves behind to cherish her memories two daughters, Barbara (Mike) Campbell & Cheryl Hoyt both of Battle Creek; four sons, Michael (Sheila) Matthews & Tom (Odessa) Martin, both of Battle Creek and Dudley (Mivis) Matthews and Aubrey (Yolanda) Matthews both of Kalamazoo, MI; one sister, Aileen Aikens, and a brother, Joseph Matthews both of Memphis, TN; 11 grandkids, 16 great grands with one on the way and a godson, William Young Jr. She also had many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband; sisters, Boydie Mae Ollie, Ruth Myers and Francis Warren.
Funeral service will be held at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 636 W. Van Buren Street, Battle Creek, MI 49037, on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 starting at 1:00 pm with Rev. Timothy Troxler officiating.
Arrangement entrusted to the Baxter Funeral and Cremation Service.
Ozell worked with the Battle Creek Public School system as a teachers aide for many years. She later worked in food service at the Battle Creek Sanitarium Hospital and then as a foster parent. Being a foster parent was the most rewarding to her. Working with kids has always been her passion. Her family was her life. She made several sacrifices for her children and that carried on with her grandchildren.
She leaves behind to cherish her memories two daughters, Barbara (Mike) Campbell & Cheryl Hoyt both of Battle Creek; four sons, Michael (Sheila) Matthews & Tom (Odessa) Martin, both of Battle Creek and Dudley (Mivis) Matthews and Aubrey (Yolanda) Matthews both of Kalamazoo, MI; one sister, Aileen Aikens, and a brother, Joseph Matthews both of Memphis, TN; 11 grandkids, 16 great grands with one on the way and a godson, William Young Jr. She also had many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband; sisters, Boydie Mae Ollie, Ruth Myers and Francis Warren.
Funeral service will be held at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 636 W. Van Buren Street, Battle Creek, MI 49037, on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 starting at 1:00 pm with Rev. Timothy Troxler officiating.
Arrangement entrusted to the Baxter Funeral and Cremation Service.