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1928 Susie 2022

Susie Richards

December 5, 1928 — June 21, 2022

Rossville, GA

Susie Richards, 93, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, June 21, 2022.

She was born in Waynesville, the eighth of eleven children born to the late Carl and Ninnie Bryson.  Susie spent her childhood in the mountains of western North Carolina working the farm with her parents and siblings.

A childhood accident caused Susie to lose the use of her left arm for the rest of her life.  However, the loss didn’t slow her down.  At sixteen, she moved to Chattanooga to live with her sister, Ila and study secretarial services at Kirkman School.  In Chattanooga she met and married Davis W. Ellis.  Together, they had two children, Deborah and Stuart.

While living in Illinois, Susie was left a widow with two teenage children.  She returned to Chattanooga, attended Baroness Erlanger School of Nursing, and became a registered nurse.  After a long career in nursing, Susie retired and spent several years working with the benevolence outreach at Brainerd Baptist Church.

Susie faithfully attended Duncan Park Baptist Church prior to joining Brainerd Baptist Church.  At Brainerd Baptist Church, she met her second husband, Robert (Jack) Richards.

Throughout her life Susie was a loving daughter, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

She is preceded in death by her first husband, Davis W. Ellis and her second husband, Robert Richards, along with her parents, Carl and Ninnie Bryson, sisters, Lois, Ruby, Enda, Ila, Jessie, Billie, Sally Kate and Pansy; brother, Mack; and son-in-law, W. Deming Gray.

Susie is survived by her children, Deborah Gray and Stuart Ellis (Laura), grandchildren, Kristin Light (Andrew), Nathan Holland (Katy), Christopher Ellis (Katherine), Caroline Holt (Levi), Drew Ellis (Emily); and twelve-great-grandchildren; and her brother, Duane Bryson (Vivian).

A celebration of Susie’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, July 2, 2022, in the Waynesville chapel of Wells Funeral Home with Reverend Larry Reeves officiating.  Burial will follow at Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Brainerd Baptist Church, 300 Brookfield Avenue, Chattanooga, TN  37411.

The care of Mrs. Richards has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Susie Richards, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Saturday, July 2, 2022

11:00am - 1:00 pm (Eastern time)

Wells Funeral Home - Waynesville

296 N Main St, Waynesville, NC 28786

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Celebration of Life

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Starts at 1:00 pm (Eastern time)

Waynesville Chapel of Wells Funeral Home

296 N Main St, Waynesville, NC 28786

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Burial following the service

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery

542 Iron Duff Rd, Waynesville, NC 28785

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

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