Beloved mother and grandmother, Katie T. Sandusky, answered the call of Our Lord to rejoin the angels in heaven this June 30th, 2023 AD. Katie was born October 5, 1938, in Poinsett County, Arkansas to John Neal Dean and Gertrude Bottoms Dean. Born on the same day (Oct 5) as her mother, Katie was a gift to this world.
She was a strong-willed woman who believed in the foundations of faith, education, civics, and hard work. A member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, she enjoyed listening to God’s word through sermon and through music. You could be certain to find her tune in to the Gaither Gospel Hour each week. She believed strongly in obtaining one’s education and ensured both her children focused on their studies and graduated from high school with good grades to enable them to go to the college of their choice. She was active in civic matters and instilled an ethic in her children of civic duty. She especially encouraged us to stay active in our local community, and to never take one’s right to vote for granted. She believed in the value of hard work and was industrious! She worked for Cleo Wrap and Ezon as part of her career, and in her home-life was never idle.
Family was especially important to her. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and a proud grandmother. She was also a proud daughter, sister, and aunt. If you spent any amount of time with her, you would be sure to engage in conversation about her family! She took joy in spending time with all members of her family and looked forward to events like the annual family reunion with both the Dean and the Sandusky side.
Mrs. Sandusky is survived by son, Jason Earl Sandusky of Horn Lake MS, and daughter, Jill Elizabeth Kanchadapu and her husband Daniel McBride of Arlington TN; grandchildren Mary Rebecca Sandusky, Jason Earl Sandusky Jr., Lori Fancher, and Jerica Fancher; sister Peg Tortorice of Flint Michigan, and a large family of loving nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by 7 sisters and 2 brothers, and her husband of 36 years, Gilford Earl Sandusky.
Visitation will occur at Brantley Funeral Home in Olive Branch, MS, on Thursday, July 6, from Noon – 2:00 PM, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 PM. Burial will follow at Autumn Woods Memorial Park in Olive Branch at 3:15 PM.
We invite friends and family to join us for a reception immediately following the burial at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Olive Branch. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in her honor to a charity of your choice.
