Catherine Helen Totten Suffridge

Catherine Helen Totten Suffridge, age 97, a resident of Perryville, Arkansas, died August 26, 2008, at St. Vincent Medical Center in North Little Rock, Arkansas. She was born October 10, 1910, at the family home in Morrilton, Arkansas, the oldest daughter and second child of Percy Norman and Gladys Mary (Egan) Totten. Her father died when she was 13 years old. She married Buford Joseph Suffridge on Christmas Day, 1938, at 12:15 a.m. at her home in Morrilton. On April 7, 1942, they moved to Perryville where she lived the remainder of her life. Buford died May 27, 1983. She is survived by her son, Dr. Buford Joseph Suffridge, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Lynda; her daughter, Catherine "Katy" Suffridge Warren and son-in-law, Dr. Lonnie Warren; four grandchildren, Dr. Calvin Suffridge of North Little Rock, Dr. Phillip Suffridge and wife, Angie, of Little Rock, Dr. Joseph "J.B." Suffridge of El Dorado, and Kate Dodd Tokar, and husband, Dr. Travis Tokar, of Pickerington, Ohio; eight great-grandchildren, Taylor Catherine and Cole Suffridge of North Little Rock, Andrew, Emily, Ashley, and Anna Catherine "Anna Kate" Suffridge of Little Rock, Catherine Olivia and Annika Tokar of Pickerington, Ohio. She is also survived by one sister, Gladys Guertin of Tulsa, Oklahoma; four nephews Dr. Norman Totten, Jr. of Newton, Massachusetts, Kenneth Guertin, Jr. of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Jim Fulp and George Fulp of North Carolina and one niece, Dr. Helen Totten McClard of Bismarck, Arkansas. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, Frank Norman Totten of Benton and sister, Patricia Norma Totten Fulp of Stoneville, North Carolina. Catherine graduated from Morrilton High School in 1928 and was the sole surviving member of the class. She attended Arkansas State Teachers College for two and a half years with a major in Education and a minor in Biology. Because of the great Depression she had to drop out of school and teach at Burdette for a year prior to returning to school to complete her degree. The following year she returned home and attended Harding College, which was located in Morrilton at the time. Having no money and since she was living at home, the college agreed to defer her tuition payment until she completed school. She graduated from Harding with a major in History and a minor in English and over the next two years taught school and repaid the tuition. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for a summer term where she studied Art and Education and was offered an opportunity to study in Paris but was unable to accept because of family obligations. She taught elementary school for one year at Burdette, eight years at Morrilton, and one term at Perryville, Arkansas. Most importantly though, she taught her four grandchildren how to tie their shoes. She later worked thirty years as a clerk typist at the Perry County Health Department. She was a member of the Perryville United Methodist Church for 66 years where she served for many years as the treasurer and on the administrative board. She was a Life Member of the Perryville Chapter of The Order of the Eastern Star and a member of the Morrilton Pathfinders Club of which her grandmother, Kate Kearney Egan, was a charter member. Memorial services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 30, 2008, at Perryville United Methodist Church with Rev. David E. Baker officiating. Burial will be at a later date. The family will receive friends for an hour prior to service time from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the church fellowship hall. Memorials may be made to the Perryville United Methodist Church Music Fund.

Catherine Helen Totten Suffridge

October 10, 1910 - August 26, 2008