With both sadness and joy we announce the passing of Matilda Jane Kirkland Herron at age 90. Matilda lived a long and fulfilling life. Born on March 15, 1934 in Swain County, NC, she was the daughter of Lonnie and Hettie Kirkland. After her mother’s passing when she was 2, she was adopted and raised by her cousin Horace and Inez Kirkland.
Matilda married Odell Herron after he returned from the Navy following World War II; himself passing away in 1996. She had 7 children, 15 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. Her children included Mildred, Sue, Jean, Clayton, Donald, Carolyn, and Judy. She is survived by Mildred, Jean, Carolyn, and Judy, as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Matilda embodied the grit, determination, and optimism of the American spirit and working mother. She and her family moved from a home with no plumbing in Bryson City, NC, to Habersham County in search of work and the American dream. There she became a poultry farmer for Fieldale Farms and provided her family with a steady diet of garden vegetables, chicken, eggs, and farm raised pork. Late in life, she nursed her ailing husband and worked her way back from a severe stroke. Even at age 90, she had a grip that reflected her decades of hard work. She also had a passion for flowers and birds and maintained a beautiful garden throughout her life.
Matilda served as the nucleus of her large family, always caring for her children and grandchildren and keeping the family focused on the teachings of the Lord. She was the storybook mother and grandmother, always sharing kindness and love with everyone she met.
Funeral Services honoring Matilda will be held at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, June 2, 2024, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel, with Pastor Mike Taylor officiating. Interment will follow in the Yonah Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at the funeral home prior to the service.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel, at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.
