Betty J. Matz

Betty J. (York) Matz, age 92 passed away December 22, 2015 at Meadowlark Pointe in Cozad. She was born on June 9th, 1923 in Cozad, Nebraska to Paris Cadet and Audrey (Dawson) York. Betty attended country school at Lucerne Valley and graduated from Cozad High School in 1941. She enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve and served in the WAVES from 1943 through 1946. She received business administration and naval training at the University of Indiana, the WAVE training at Hunter College in New York and eventually served in the commissary department in Gulfport, Mississippi. She was honorably discharged from active duty in 1946 with the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Betty greatly valued her time in the WAVES and remained in contact with several of her colleagues for the rest of her life. In 1997 she along with five of her WAVE colleagues were able to attend the dedication of the Women in Military Service for America memorial in Washington DC. Her uniform remains on display at the 100th Meridian Museum in Cozad. Betty married Robert (Bob) Matz on May 15th, 1948. She was very active in the Cozad community and the State of Nebraska. She served on the Cozad School Board from 1957 to 1963. Betty was appointed to the Governor's Advisory Committee to the Department of Corrections in 1969 and served until 1984. Betty also served on the State Accreditation Committee for Public and Private Schools, the Governor's Conference on Education, the South Central Developmental Center, the Dawson County Veteran's Service Board and the State Central Committee of the Republican Party. She was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Dawson County Red Cross and the United Methodist Church. In recognition of her many contributions she was appointed to the Great Navy of Nebraska by Governor Thorne in 1979 and selected to be the Grand Marshall of the Cozad Hay Days parade in 1983. Among her papers she left a note that one of the most memorable moments of her life was in May 1998 when she was honored by the Nebraska Commission on the Status of Women in their publication entitled "Living the Legacy of Women's Rights". The article highlighted her life in the military and her involvement in city, county and state government. Bob and Betty enjoyed traveling throughout the United States to visit family and friends, especially her sister and brother-in-law Mary Lou and Herb Kuhlman in Phoenix. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; brothers, Dwight, Percy, Glenn and Warren; along with sisters Zoe and Mary Lou. Betty is survived by her son Gary and daughter-in-law Lynette of Alexandria VA; grandsons, David (Kara) of Larchmont NY, Andy (Brooke) of Washington DC along with numerous nephews and nieces, including Carl York of Cozad and Nancy Kopf of Lexington and long time special friend and helper Shirley Heidebrink. Memorials are suggested to Meadowlark Pointe in Cozad. Online condolences may be shared at berrymanfuneralhome.com. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cozad United Methodist Church with Pastor Doug Smith officiating. Burial was held prior to the service at Cozad Cemetery. Berryman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.