My grandmother was an educated lady with a mixture of grace, toughness and quality. I never knew my grandmother very well. I was dislocated from her by a divorce when I was about 4 years old. After moving away from Lurton, I had an opportunity to only see her from time to time. I missed growing up around my grandma Sutton. I would have loved to have known and learned from my grandma Sutton.

Grandma Sutton was born in Jerseyville, Illinois, February 3, 1881. Her parents were Lewis Albertross White and Mary Jane Turner. Her Father died in the early stages of her mother’s pregnancy. Her mother Mary Jane Turner white later remarried to Lewis’s half uncle, Daniel P. White. Cornelia never knew her father. Mary Jane Turner White is buried in the Tarlton Cemetery, in the Sutton plot.

Grandma Sutton taught school in an Indian school in Globe, Arizona. I don’t know much about her early teaching days.

My Uncle Harry Sutton tells about I C Sutton being a representive for a company and how he was sent to all parts of the U S to train and or repair the equipment that was shipped to the various cities. In his travels he met Cornelia, in Oklahoma and they were married March 23, 1910. In their early married years, they settled down in the area that would become Lurton.

After my grandmother had named the Post office, Lurton, and became the postmistress she served in that position for some 45 years. She was good at her job and seemed to enjoy meeting the people as they congregated around the Store and Post Office. Grandma was a busy person and I am told that she was efficient and helpful through her job.

Through out the years, my grandmother was very much involved in the civic duties around the Lurton Area. I was told that she spearheaded lots of things at the schoolhouse when they had skits, plays and parties.

Mrs. Cornelia Sutton worked with us in our 'drama' at the Lurton School and she helped us with this program in 1938. She had the program typed on white typing paper and cut out in the shape of a large bell, decorated on the outside of the bell with blue crayon lines by the children.

Grandma Sutton was involved in Pie Suppers to raise money for community activities and she played the piano, organ and violin. Grandma had a musical talent. Her musical ability came from another place and society. She brought a little of the grace of the classical music to the area. I had one lady, Pauline Jacklin Smith, tell me that my grandma was a lady of grace. She sang with an opera style of voice many times. Grandma would work with the school programs with the piano and organ and would help organize the marching patterns in the programs. I was told that she would help design and make crepe paper costumes and dresses for the kids programs.

After the death of Grandma’s youngest son, Alburtus (Burt), she seemed to decline in health, as I was told. As she started going down hill, after a while, she gave up her Post Mistress job to her daughter-in-law, Ruby Hefley Sutton.

As I look back, I think my grandmother developed Alzheimer’s disease. In those days, no one knew what was happening and had never heard of Alzheimer’s disease. They just thought some one was getting old and maybe senile in the old days.

I wish I could give many more details of the life of Grandma Sutton, but sadly, I was not around her that much. I have fond memories of her and her life there at Lurton, Arkansas. She was an influence to me, and many others. Hopefully, someone reading this will e-mail me with more information about my grandmother. It would be appreciated.

Sincerely, Lloyd Sutton

Please email Lloyd Sutton if you have additional information about his grandmother...Lloyd, Thank You for sharing...