Mattie Tracy mourned by family, friends

DOWNEY – Mattie Opal Tracy passed away April 20 at her home in Downey with her daughter, Robin, by her side. 

She was the ninth of 11 children born to Harvey Lester and Grace (Luck) Moutray. With six sisters (Lillian, Josephine, Marie, Georgia, Ava and Leliah) and four brothers (Ralph, Joseph, William and John), a good portion of the family food was processed at home and Mattie developed work ethics that helped her throughout her life. 

After graduating from Monroe City High School in 1949, she went to New York. It was there that she met and married Patrick Courtney and to this union four children were born: Patrick Steven, Pamela and Robin. 

When this marriage didn’t work out, Mattie set out to raise her children on her own. She later married James Tracy, to whom she was married for 27 years until his passing. 

She and James both retired from the postal service and settled in Downey. They were members of the Downey First Baptist Church and spent a lot of their spare time volunteering in church work. They also enjoyed community gardening and spent 16 years growing a variety of vegetables which they gave to the needy. 

After James passed away, Mattie lived the remaining seven years in her home. When she was diagnosed with cancer in February of this year, her daughter, Robin, moved in and remained until her death. 

Mattie is surived by her four children, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a sister, Leliah Curless, and a brother, John Moutray, along with a host of nephews, nephews and other relatives and friends.