Sue Arnold

Fannie Sue Arnold was born on January 24, 1929 in the East Texas town of Hainesville, which is near her father’s ancestral home of Little Hope, Texas, near Mineola. Texas. She was the first child born to Connie Wells Murphy and Exa Charm (nee McDougal) Murphy. Sue was the “big sister” to Jane Murphy and Dorothy Fay Murphy. Sue grew up in a loving Christian family that was continually on the move between various “United Gas” small towns in East and South Texas. She graduated from Banquete Texas high school in 1946, and immediately after graduation, at the age of 17, she began work in nearby Robstown, Texas as a switchboard operator. In a move that ultimately proved eventful for Sue, the family happily transferred back to Carthage Texas in 1947. She was working as a switchboard operator at the United Gas plant where she met her future husband, Lee Kingston Arnold who was working as a temporary gasoline truck driver after his stint in the US Navy and between college semesters. Sue and Lee were married on August 5, 1950 at Central Baptist Church in Carthage, Texas. Their first child, Steve, was born in September of 1951 in Carthage Texas. Almost immediately after that, Sue and her new family began moving to various towns in Texas, Alabama, Montana, Arkansas and Louisiana as her husband worked as an oil company exploration geophysicist. Over the next 5 years, they lived in about 15 different locations. The moving settled down a bit as Lee migrated out of the field and into the office. Their daughter, Sandy was born in November of 1956 in Midland, Texas. After that, in addition to Midland, the family lived in Shreveport Louisiana, and Tulsa Oklahoma, Sue always managed to blossom and to make a pleasant home wherever she was planted. Their last move was to Plano, Texas in June of 1970. In Plano Sue was active in the Collin County Republican Women’s Club for several years and she assisted with and was a contributor to that organization’s famous cookbook. Sue was an excellent cook and amassed a huge cookbook collection from her travels. She was also involved in Plano High School activities while her daughter attended. Upon Lee’s retirement in 1986, the couple travelled extensively all over North America and Europe. While Sue enjoyed every place she visited, she was particularly fond of Norway (she characterized it as a very clean country with good seafood). In their retirement years, Sue even managed to learn and share her husband’s great passion for golf. Sue loved the beach and she especially loved the Texas gulf coast. All of us who knew her attributed this love of the beach to happy childhood days when the family lived in South Texas. Many of us teased her that she had to get her feet in salt water at least once a year. Sue was preceded in death by her parents Connie Murphy and Exa Murphy and by her sister Jane Keen. She is survived by her husband of 65 years Lee Kingston Arnold, her son Steve Arnold and wife Janie Arnold, and daughter Sandy Utley and husband Kelly Utley. She is also survived by 6 grandchildren: Amy Turner and husband Kyle, Bradley Arnold, Wesley Arnold, and Lindsay Lancaster and husband Chad, Erin Utley and fiancé Grant Seabourne, and Laura Utley. She also is survived by 6 great grandchildren and by her sister Dorothy (Dot) Beckham and sister in law June Arnold. Sue was an avid reader, loved to walk, loved to cook, and was an avid bridge player. In fact, she and Lee were involved in bridge clubs at each town they lived in along the way. Most importantly, Sue was a devoted wife and mother. She was the ultimate “southern lady” and she will be greatly missed by all of us who knew and loved her.

In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to a charity of your choice.