Neva Mae Sutton went home to be with her Lord on March 5, 2020. She was born February 2, 1937 in Mineral Wells, Texas to Leonard Nolan McMinn and Lena Mae Pilgrim McMinn. She is survived by her sister, Janette McMinn Davis; sister-in-law, Ruby Sutton; daughters, Vickie Spicer (husband, Don), and Scharlee Glenn, and her son, Wayne (wife, Kim). Grandchildren include Seth Glenn, Emily Glenn Honea, Mandy Spicer Luckert, Preston Spicer, Jake Sutton, Jonah Sutton and Jared Sutton, and 7 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, her son-in-law, Byron P. Glenn, her parents, and her brothers, Nolan McMinn and Elton Ray McMinn. Neva graduated from Midland High School, Midland, Texas, May 26, 1955 and married the love of her life, Charles Wayne Sutton, on June 5, 1955.
Neva accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior when she was 12 years old through the influence of a godly Sunday school teacher at the Parker Street Missionary Baptist Church in Mineral Wells, Texas.
Her life was filled with love for Jesus Christ, her Savior, which was displayed in the value she saw in every person she met. She could sense a person’s spiritual, emotional, and physical needs when she met them and if she said she was praying for you, you knew she really was and that she had the ear of God. Neva was not only devoted to her Lord but was also devoted to being a godly wife and helpmeet to Charles by working in their family businesses through the years.
From an early age Neva had a servant’s heart, caring for her siblings during the poor health of her mother and later nurturing and providing a beautiful example of Christ’s unconditional love and service to her husband, children, grandchildren and friends. This quality carried over into her “volunteer” life where she served in the benevolence ministry in her church and in the volunteer auxiliary at the VA hospital in the 1970’s and for 20+ years at Mercy Hospital. She also had a passion for supporting missionaries at home and abroad and served many years in the WMU in her church.
Her life was filled with joy and a contagious bubbly laughter that made others laugh with her when she was laughing too hard to finish a story or joke. She loved celebrating holidays and birthdays and even had a year-round “Christmas bedroom” in their home that was the favorite with her grandchildren; and an annual Christmas open house for her friends and neighbors. She was present for all the grandchildren’s special events. “Nana” brought fun and adventure to life and found joy in trying new things, like ice skating, roller blading, laser tag, and geo-caching with her grandchildren in her 50’s. She could beat anyone at marbles and jacks and taught all the kids how to play. She found simple pleasures in God’s creation and loved planting flowers and feeding the birds.
We will miss you, Mom and Nana, but your love, wisdom, and precious spirit live on in us because of the influence you’ve had in our lives.
A memorial celebration will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 16th in the Chapel of Quail Springs Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Quail Springs Baptist Church Benevolence at 14613 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73134; the International Mission Board at https://www.imb.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering/ ; or Mercy Auxiliary at 4300 W. Memorial, Oklahoma City, OK 73120.
