Mrs. Pennington was born on November 7, 1923 in Humboldt, Tennessee, the youngest of three children born to the late James Edgar and Clara Dell Matthews. After high school, she went to the University of Tennessee at Martin and graduated from UT Knoxville with Bachelor's degree in Dietary Management. She worked for only a short time because on a blind date she met her husband James "Ed" Pennington. They married June 6, 1947 in the chapel of the original Baptist Hospital in Memphis where she worked.
Sarah was a longtime seamstress and sewed for the Memphis Women's Exchange for many years. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Memphis where she worked in the nursery and taught children's Sunday School into her '90s.
Along with her parents, Sarah was preceded in death by her two brothers, Robert and Edwin Matthews; and husband Ed Pennington.
Mrs. Pennington's memory lives on through her children Pat (Jim) Duncan of Memphis, Tennessee, Jimmy (Vickie) Pennington of Paris, Tennessee, Charles (Beverly) Pennington of Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Judy Moore of Memphis, Tennessee; eleven grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren.
Family and friends will gather on Monday, June 24 from nine o'clock until funeral services begin at ten o'clock that morning all at Memphis Funeral Home at 5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38119. Rev. Ray Hatton of First Baptist Church will lead the services.
The family suggests any donations in Sarah's name be sent to the First Baptist Church of Memphis or the American Cancer Society.
Online condolences, floral tributes and directions may be found by www.memphisfuneralpoplar.com.
