Erma Lee Matthews

Funeral services for Erma Matthews will be held on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 11:00am at Memorial Heights Baptist Church with burial following at Woodlawn Cemetery in Claremore, OK. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, from 1:00-7:00pm with family receiving friends from 5:00-7:00pm. 

Erma Lee Matthews, 94, of Claremore, OK, peacefully passed away on February 21, 2025. She was born in Catoosa, OK on January 21, 1931, to Timothy and Lela Baker.

Erma was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, and mother. Upon her first husband’s (Glenn C. McCoy a/k/a “Doc”) death she began working as a cook in the Justus School System Hot Lunch Program so that she could be home in the afternoons to care for her three sons. She also drove the Justus School bus on the route near her home and ranch south/east of Claremore. She retired from the Justus School System in 1993. The rest of her time she spent running her small cattle ranch with a herd of Brangus cattle bred by her late husband, Doc, and caring for her three boys, Randy, Glenn, and Robert (“Bob”).

In her free time, Erma enjoyed playing and watching golf, and rarely missed The Young & The Restless. She enjoyed traveling with her second husband, Ralph. They cherished the opportunity to explore unfamiliar places and create lifelong memories together. She and Ralph traveled all over the world including such destinations as Hawaii (on their honeymoon), Jerusalem, Egypt, and London. They traveled extensively in the United States, often traveling with her sisters, Murel and Naomi, and their husbands. Erma was a tireless caregiver to all family members and friends—someone you could always count on to be there whatever the need. She cared for her mother-in-law, Lola, her sister-in-law, Fern, her husband, Ralph, and both of her sisters, Murel and Naomi, among others. 

Erma was preceded in death by her parents, Timothy R. and Lela Leafy (Martindale) Baker; her first husband, Glenn C. McCoy, her second husband, Ralph A. Matthews, her stepson, Lowell Matthews, her sister, Murel Sellars and husband, Joe, her brother, Raymond Baker and wife, Artie, her brother, Lloyd Baker and wife, Mattie; her sister Naomi Hamilton and husband Jack, her niece Sharlene Nichols, her sister-in-law, Fern McCoy, her sister-in-law, Bonnie Steiker and husband, Charles, her niece Stephanie Windler, her brother-in-law Sam McCoy and wife, Marcia, brother-in-law Arch McCoy and wife, Lee. Erma is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Randy, and Susie McCoy of Tulsa, OK, son and son-in-law, Glenn C. McCoy, Jr., and Walter V. Cartier, of New York City, NY, son and daughter-in-law, Robert A. (“Bob”) and Nicki McCoy of Edmond, OK, grand-daughters Brooke and Bailey McCoy, daughter-in-law Jeannine Matthews, grandson and wife, Stephen and Tasha Matthews, granddaughters Janelle and Jaelynn Matthews, and great-grand-daughter Logan, her nieces Barbara Jo Larson of Claremore, Karon (Baker) Finger, and her husband Denny of Kearneysville, WV; her nephews Gary Baker, and his wife Fran of Charlottesville, VA, and Kenneth Baker, and his wife Robbie of Springdale, AR, 

Erma found solace and strength in her faith and was a member of Memorial Heights Baptist Church in Claremore, OK. 

She was a strong beautiful woman, with a keen wit and charming sense of humor. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.