Mary Louise (Sanders) Cunningham, age 92, passed away at her home in Bartlett on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee on September 7, 1926, the sixth child of Ollie Jesse Sanders and Gertrude (Martin) Sanders. In 1934, the family of eleven moved to a farm outside LaGrange, Tennessee. The death of her father the following year was a defining moment for Louise, something that she spoke about for the remainder of her life.
Louise was a 1945 graduate of Fayette County High School, Somerville, Tennessee and attended the old Memphis Academy of Arts for one year before falling in love with a returning World War II veteran, David Edward Cunningham. They created quite a stir by “running away to Kentucky” to be married on August 4, 1947.
In 1949, she and her husband purchased their home in the Ellendale community, moving in just before Christmas. She was blessed to remain in that home for almost 69 years, until her death. Despite the fact that Ellendale was annexed by the City of Bartlett around 1977, the Cunningham family supported the small Ellendale 38029 Post Office by refusing to place a residential mailbox on their property. USPS mail addressed to their Bartlett street address remains undeliverable, so please don’t try!
Shortly after moving to Ellendale, Louise gave birth to their first child, Cynthia, who died the following day. After suffering several miscarriages, they welcomed a daughter, Rose-Anne and a son, David.
On October 1, 1956, Louise and Eddie transferred their church membership to Ellendale Baptist Church, which remained her beloved spiritual home until her death. Through the years, she participated on several Mission Teams deployed around the country following natural disasters. However, one of her great joys was the Mission Trips to Nigeria and Kenya in the 1990’s. Her home was filled with items and memories collected during those African trips. She was a devoted Sunday School teacher of the women’s “Joy Class” for several years, spending each Saturday morning “incognito” as she prepared for the next day. The wonderful women of the Joy Class, and her beloved church family, continued their ministry to her throughout her final journey.
She is survived by her children Rose-Anne (Spencer) Bennett of Hernando, MS and David Cunningham of Bartlett; her step-daughter, Carolyn Curry of Gordonsville, VA; her sisters, Martha Peterson, Evelyn (Jimmy) Moser, and Jessie (James) Stovall; six step-grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. She also leaves her beloved “adopted” son Jimmy Williams and his family, along with her loving Schnauzer, Bubba J. Cunningham.
In keeping with her wishes, her Visitation and Funeral will be held at Ellendale Baptist Church on Saturday, October 6. Friends and family with gather the next day (Sunday) at Memorial Park Cemetery for graveside services. Please follow the Yellow directional arrows posted at the Poplar Avenue and Yates Road entrances to the gravesite.
