Lodena Sutton

Dena Sessums Hanway Sutton, age 79, of West Jefferson died Tuesday, Feb. 18 and Wake Forest Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC after a brief battle with cancer. Over the past four years, Dena has resided in West Jefferson, NC enjoying fellowship as a member of First Baptist Church. She served as secretary of the Friends of the Library and was a member at Mountain Hearts. Mrs. Sutton was a life-longResident of Jackson, MS where she enjoyed a thirty-five year career as an award winning relator. She was the first female president of the Jackson Association of Relators in 1983. She also served as president of the board of MLS and was a charter member and past president of the Women's Council of Relators. Prior to her Real Estate Career, Mrs. Sutton was the first woman to own Whitetop Safe Cab Co, INK, as well as Deposit Guaranty National Bank's first female bookeeper, and the first woman manager of the New Orleans Delta Airlines Branch.
Mrs. Sutton is survived by two daughters: Ms. Karen Hanway McDonald of Crumpler, NC; Ms. Barbara Sutton of West Jefferson; one sister, Mrs. Ruth Hobson of Madison, Mississippi, one brother Prease Herbert Sessums of Jackson, Mississippi. Two grandchildren and one great-grandchild also survive.
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM at the Badger Funeral Home Chapel in West Jefferson. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the services. Graveside services will be conducted on Saturday at noon at the Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson, Mississippi. The family will receive friends at the Lakewood Chapel Saturday morning from 10:00 am-12;00 noon. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church @ 8 W Second Street, West Jefferson, NC 28694.