Lula Sue DeLiddo

Lula Sue DeLiddo was born in Boston, Alabama to Anna Bell and Christopher Columbus Rawls. She was the ninth of ten children, and the last surviving Rawls sibling. Her family moved near Tupelo, Mississippi in the early 1920´s, where she lived until coming to California in 1945. Although born in Alabama, she always considered herself a true Mississippi lady and was proud of her southern accent. She was baptized as a member of the Church of Christ at age sixteen, and was an active church member until 2005, when health reasons prevented her continued attendance.

Sue´s first job in Fresno was at McMahon´s Furniture in the drapery department. She then went to Fresno Normal College to earn a certificate as a dietitian; a requirement to work in the Department of Food Service at Roosevelt High School, where she was a supervisor for twenty-one years.

Sue met Leo DeLiddo in 1945 and they married on April 27, 1946. They had two children: Christopher and Anna. Sue´s first granddaughter was born in 1977 and she retired soon after to become "Nonnie". Other grandchildren followed, and Sue was so happy, especially since she was able to take care of them every day. Sue and Leo loved to take the grandkids to McDonald´s and meet up with all of their friends. Many happy memories were created at those gatherings. Believing in the importance of education, Sue organized educational activities with her grandchildren every day after school and during the summer.

In 1996, Sue was preceded in death by her daughter-in-law, Judy McConnaughhay DeLiddo, and in 1998, her son Christopher. Nonnie (Sue) and Papa (Leo) welcomed Chris and Judy´s three children; Natalie, Denise, and Joey into their home and raised them with much love and attention.

Sue and Leo celebrated fifty-five years of marriage before Leo´s passing in 2001. Sue always said that Leo was the love of her life and her children were her blessings. But her greatest joy was her five grandchildren, who were all very close to their Nonnie and Papa and with each other. This joy was heightened as each of her great-grandchildren came along: Alessia Rose, Vincent Leo, Xavier Allen, Liam Thomas, Taylor Charlene and Baby Ortiz. They visited her often and she loved to show them off to anyone who was around.

Sue is survived by her daughter Anna DeWitt and her husband Tom, granddaughters Christy DeWitt and her husband Patrick Kubley and their children Xavier and Liam, Natalie DeLiddo and her children Alessia and Vincent, Shelby DeWitt Ortiz and her husband Juan and their child Baby Ortiz, Denise DeLiddo and her child Taylor, grandson Joseph DeLiddo, sister-in-law Mary DeLiddo Gentry, numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.