NAOMI BENITA MATTHEWS HUCKABAY, 105,
left her earthly home Nov. 19, 2012 to join her
Lord and Savior in her new heavenly home, with
burial at the Eastland City Cemetery in Eastland,
TX.
“Mrs. H.”, as she was affectionately called by many,
was born to Harvey Arthur Matthews & Emmie Talkington
Cloud Matthews in Indian Territory, near present-day
Chickasha, OK, on Sept. 3, 1907. She moved with
her family to Ranger, TX, in 1919 during the Oil Boom
and lived on the McCleskey Lease near the discovery
well. She graduated from Ranger High School in 1924
at Ranger, TX. After graduation, she worked at
various jobs, including for the City of Ranger and
for the local Ranger newspaper. Two highlights of
her newspaper career were working with Boyce House
on the breaking news of the Santa Claus Bank Robbery
in 1927 and the story of Old Rip in 1928.
In June of 1934, she married Leonard E. Huckabay
(RHS-1924). Upon moving to Eastland, TX, in 1936, she
became a full-time homemaker, and they raised three
children. She was active in First Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) serving in many capacities:
Sunday School teacher, officer of the Christian
Women’s Fellowship, a Deaconess, and member of the
Church Board. She enjoyed her participation in Las
Leales Club, representing them on the original
committee that spearheaded the creation of Eastland
Memorial Hospital. In addition to her church and
civic activities, Mrs. H. was a tireless supporter
of her children’s and grandchildren’s activities
and interests. She attended basketball games, tennis
matches, softball games, band concerts, piano and
dance recitals, and served in parent organizations
to support these endeavors. She also thoroughly
enjoyed chaperoning church youth ski trips and a
trip to Washington, DC with the Junior Historians.
She passed on to her children her love of history,
her insatiable curiosity, and her unquenchable
optimism, which led her to pursue numerous interests.
She was proud of her heritage and became a “card-
carrying” member of the Choctaw tribe. Although not
a native Texan, she became an avid reader and collector
of Texas history and folklore. Her curiosity spurred
her lifelong love of learning new words and ideas,
and her enjoyment of experiencing new places and
events, as evidenced by her becoming a first-time
college student, earning 9 hours of credit after
the age of 60! Her optimism always helped her to
find the silver lining, no matter how dark the
situation. She was a loyal fan of the Dallas Cowboys,
the Texas Rangers, the Texas Longhorns, and the
Eastland Mavericks, rooting for them even through
the worst of seasons.
Mrs. H. is survived by her three children: James
Donald (Jimmie Don) Huckabay and wife Lucy, of
Santa Monica, CA; Linda Boose, of Eastland; Jana
Marilynn Palmer and husband Bill, of Austin; and
six grandchildren: Dr. Christina Huckabay, of Long
Beach, CA; Nina Huckabay, of Santa Monica, CA; Jana
Boose Miller and husband Chris, of Austin; Breanne
Boose Campbell, of Fort Worth; James Thomas Palmer,
of Austin; and Elizabeth Palmer Hightower & husband
Scott of Austin.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters,
a brother, and her husband, Leonard, who died in 1991.
Her siblings were: Willie Matthews (RHS-1924), Mildred
Matthews True (RHS-1926) & Sammy Matthews (RHS-1935).