Barbara Jean Shedden Mattison
Barbara Jean Shedden Mattison went peacefully to meet her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on January 5, 2026 where she, no doubt, got to hear the words she longed to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”.
Barbara lived a life of service and always put others first. She was one of the founders of Toccoa Life, Inc. and served as Director of the organization for over thirty years where her life and ministry touched thousands of individuals across Northeast Georgia. Their annual Toccoa Life Christmas Parties allowed them to stay in touch with, and continue to serve, many of the lives they touched. Barbara and her husband were honored for their leadership of Toccoa Life and decades of selfless service to their community by Georgia House of Representative Resolution Number 2100 in 2010.
Her two greatest loves, and the ones she aimed to serve most, were Jesus Christ and her family. She loved to tell anyone and everyone about either. Barbara was a humble and devoted wife, a loving mother, an adoring grandmother and great grandmother. She emulated Christ’s love for others by providing countless hours of prayer, counseling, a listening ear, and a shoulder to cry on for all of those hurting and in need around her.
Barbara was married to John T. Mattison Jr. for over 71 years. They have six children: Linda (Doug) Snow; John T. Mattison III; Laura (Bob) Wallace; Jim Mattison; Kathy (Eric) Bennett; and Kenneth (Lisa) Mattison. She has 18 grandchildren: Ryan (Cassie) Snow; Eric Snow; Mark Snow; Austin (Kate) Urey; Rick Mattison; Robby (Helena) Wallace; Joshua (Allison) Wallace; Stephen (Melissa) Wallace; Daniel Wallace; Jonathan Wallace; Grace Wallace; Hope Wallace; Nathaniel Bennett; Laura Riley; Anna (Frank) Marrone; Isaiah Bennett; Elizabeth (Dalton) Cofer and Andrew (Audrey) Mattison. And, she has 15 great grandchildren: William Snow; Cathryn Snow; Thomas Snow; Hannah Snow; Emmett Urey, Ellen Urey, Bobby Ray Wallace; Lilliana Wallace; Connor Wallace; Blakely Wallace; Raegan Riley; Mattison Cofer; Kinley Cofer; Titus Cofer and Judah Mattison. Barbara was predeceased by her parents William Shedden and Kathleen Shedden.
Barbara was born in Hendersonville, NC and attended Washington Seminary (High School) in Atlanta, GA, then Agnes Scott College. She attended North Avenue Presbyterian Church, where she met her loving husband, John. The two raised their children in Atlanta and continued attending North Avenue where she was involved in women’s and children’s ministries. They moved to Toccoa in 1975.
Barbara had a passion for children, both the born and unborn, and wrote several children’s books to entertain her grandchildren, whom she loved spending time with. The house was always full with her six children, all of their friends, as well as several nieces that came to live with the family: Marilynn (Bob) Braude, Arlette Jordan, Donna Moran, and Laulie Shedden.
In Lieu of flowers you may make donations to Toccoa Life, Inc., 61 White Pine Road, Toccoa, Georgia 30577 or Global Samaritans for the benefit of Dalton & Elizabeth Cofer (her granddaughter), www.globalsamaritans.org.
Funeral services will be Thursday, January 8, 2026, 2 p.m. in the Hillcrest Chapel of the Acree-Davis Funeral Home with The Reverend Andrew J. Mattison officiating. Grandchildren will serve as pallbearers, Ryan Snow, Eric Snow, Mark Snow, Austin Urey, Rick Mattison, Robby Wallace, Joshua Wallace, Stephen Wallace, Daniel Wallace, Jonathan Wallace, Nathaniel Bennett and Isaiah Bennett.
The family will receive friends at the Acree-Davis Funeral Home on Thursday from 1 p.m. until the service time. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.acree-davisfh.com.
Interment will follow in the Toccoa City Cemetery with The Reverend Chad Smith officiating. Acree-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements for Mrs. Barbara Jean Mattison.