Anna Bell Matson (Collins)

Anna Bell Matson, age 89, of Independence, Missouri, Passed away Thursday, May 4, 2023. A celebration of Anna’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, June 4, 2023 at the Speaks Suburban Chapel, 18020 E. 39th St., Independence, MO 64055. The family will greet friends from 1:00 p.m., until service time Sunday at the chapel. Anna was born on March 18, 1934, in Clinton, MO, to Ira Malcolm and Violet Helen Collins. When she was younger, Anna helped her parents with various jobs on the family farm. In 1955, she married Walter George Matson and began to care for their family and the two children they were blessed with, Michael and Dianne. Her family meant the world to her, and she loved spending as much time with them as possible, especially around the holidays. Anna was a nurturer, and loved helping care for her only grandchild, Shawnna, and who affectionately referred to her as “Nanny.” After Shawnna had grown and married, Anna adored her great grandchildren, John and Lilianna. When not spending time with her family, Anna enjoyed being outdoors. She had a beautiful tulip tree and loved watching her magnolia tree bloom every year in late March to early April, which was around the time her son, Michael, passed, as a reminder that he was always with her. Her good friends, Judy and Larry Jackson, and neighborhood friends, Gary, Jack, and Dee always kept an eye on her to make sure she was doing well. Anna enjoyed cooking and baking for her family. Everything she made was from scratch; she did not cook from a box, and family and friends still speak highly of her hamburger soup, mac n’ cheese, no-bake cookies, and chocolate mousse. Anna always insisted she tune in to watch the news, so that she was up to date on current events and would occasionally watch The Andy Griffith Show and Grand Ole Opry. Anna is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Dianne and David Sanderson; granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Shawnna and Mike Jackson; great grandchildren, John and Lilianna Jackson; and sister, Eula Moreland. She is preceded in death by her husband, Walter George “Dub” Matson; parents, Ira and Violet Collins; son, Michael Matson; brothers, Harvey Collins and Carl Collins; and sisters, Eva Mae Barnhart, Montez Dady, and Doris Green. Online condolences can be expressed at Speakschapel.com.