Nancy Mattern

Nancy (Nannie) Temperance White Stetson Mattern, 98, of Cranford, New Jersey, died peacefully at Overlook Hospital in Summit at 7:55 p.m. on May 28. For the past year, she had been living at Atria Cranford assisted living. She was born on April 5, 1914 in Edenton, North Carolina, the youngest child of John A. and Eva E. Hurdle White, both deceased. She graduated from Kitty Hawk (high) School in 1931 and later earned a graduate certificate in banking from American Institute of Banking.

Nancy was married to Harold C. Stetson, deceased, from 1930 to 1942; they had three children: Murray C. Stetson, deceased; Saragay Stetson McNally, deceased; and Nancy E. Stetson of Rohnert Park, California. In 1942, she left Harold and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, with her three children; she lived in Norfolk, Virginia for a short while before moving to New Jersey in 1944.

In 1948, she married Oliver R. Mattern who died in 1997 at the age of 91. They were happily married for 49 years, during which time he adopted her surviving children, Murray and Nancy. Together, they lived in Elizabeth and Union, New Jersey; San Jose, Los Gatos, Aptos, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, California; Sun City and Prescott, Arizona; and Kitty Hawk and Elizabeth City, North Carolina. In 1999, two years after her husband’s death in Elizabeth City, Nancy moved to an assisted living home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, then to the home of her son in Clark in 2002, and then to Atria Cranford in 2011.

Nancy began her working life as a file clerk at Elastic Stop Nut Corporation in Newark. She started a 30-year banking career in the early 1950s at Elizabeth Port Bank. From 1953-1961, she was at Union Center Bank in Union; from 1961-1965, at Great Western Savings and Loan in San Jose; from 1965-1972, at the Bank of California in San Jose; and from 1972-1981 at Valley National (now Chase) Bank in Sun City until she retired.      
            
Nancy was a member of Osceola Presbyterian Church, Clark. Among her interests were Bible study, golfing, creative writing, sewing, traveling throughout the U.S., buying and selling 11 houses, pinochle, and volunteer work at Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City and several churches. She also managed her own finances and investments until her death, reading the Wall Street Journal daily to see how her stocks were doing. At Atria Cranford, where she was known as “the lady with the hat,” she enjoyed playing bingo.
            
Nancy leaves behind 11 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Her grandchildren, the children of Murray and the late Janet Shea Stetson, were Diane Stetson Martoucheski of Garwood; Jeffrey Stetson (and his wife Trish), of Clark; Gary Stetson of Oldbridge; Cathy Stetson Roon of Florida; and Scott Stetson of Colonia. Great grandchildren include the children of Diane and the late Charles Martoucheski: Darlene Texidore Martoucheski of Wisconsin and Christopher Martoucheski of Garwood; the children of Cathy and Ray Roon: Ray Roon, Jr. of Tennessee; the children of Cathy and Al King, Karri and Taylor King of Florida; and the children of Scott and Ruth Stetson: Brandon and Stephanie of Colonia.
            
Her grandchildren, the children of Saragay Stetson McNally, deceased, and Robert McNally of North Carolina, were: Samantha McNally of California; Robert McNally, Jr. of Maine; Gillian McNally of Virginia; and Gwen McNally Peebles of Allendale, New Jersey. Great grandchildren include the children of Robert McNally, Jr., and Lara McNally: Sophia and Flynn of Maine; and the children of Gwen and Adam Peebles: Penelope and Patrick of Allendale.
            
Additional grandchildren include the children of Nancy Stetson and the late Berend (Bert) Kroon; Laurel Kroon Hair of Kirkland, Washington; and Nancy Lee Kroon of Seattle, Washington. Great grandchildren include Laurel’s children by her ex-husband David Hair of Florida: Connor Hair and Brendan Hair of Kirkland.
            
Nancy’s siblings, all deceased, included Josephine Ercelle White, Marvin Augustus White, and Eva Mae White.
            
Family, friends, and acquaintances are invited to attend a small celebration of her life on June 3 at Atria Cranford at 3 p.m. in The Cinema (map/directions).  Messages to be read at the service may be sent to Nancy Stetson at nancyemilystetson@yahoo.com.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Osceola Presbyterian Church in Clark.

Her ashes will be lovingly placed at Rosehill Cemetery in Linden where she joins her late husband Oliver Mattern and his parents, and her son Murray Stetson.

Arrangements by Gray Memorial Funeral Home in Cranford.  Please visit at grayfuneralhomes.com for online condolences.