Elizabeth Crelling

CARBONDALE - Elizabeth Carol Anne Matheson Crelling, 78, passed away on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale following a sudden illness.

Betty was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada to Neil and Margaret (Miller) Matheson into a family dedicated to public and community service. Before leaving for Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario and graduating with a B.A. in History, she met her future husband, Jack Crelling visiting to research his own Island genealogy.

Jack and Betty lived and worked in University communities raising their two boys in active academic environments. She supported musical, academic and athletic endeavors—passionately. She and Jack enjoyed a lifetime of travel related to his academic work and research and their children’s, and eventually grandchildren’s, life events. She was happiest in the midst of family and friends. Betty was an avid walker, birder, gardener and was extremely active in the Parish life of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Carbondale.

Over the years Betty worked in archives, libraries and research. Her final research project was a joint effort with her sister to transcribe and memorialize the “Across The Island” columns of her father, an Island representative to Parliament and editor to the Island’s Guardian newspaper, spanning 13 years of wit, observation, folklore and stories from the past. These were gifted to the University of PEI in 2014.

Betty is survived by her sons, James Crelling of Boulder, CO and Ian (Lindsey) of Panama City Beach, FL; grandchildren, Emma and Matheson Crelling; and sister, Margaret Matheson of Kingston, Ontario.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her loving husband, Jack.

Memorial Services for Betty will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday, September 15th at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Carbondale.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 402 W. Mill St., Carbondale, IL 62901.

Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale assisted the family with arrangements. To leave a story or memory of Betty please visit www.meredithfh.com.