Amelia Sudderth

Amelia Sudderth, beloved and loving wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully at her home on January 21, 2022. She was 83 years old and lived in Waco, Texas for the last 50 years with her devoted husband, Joe. Services will be January 28 at 1:00 pm at First Presbyterian Church, 1100 Austin Avenue in Waco, with Rev. Dr. Leslie King officiating. Graveside service will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will be January 27 from 5 – 7 pm at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. Born in Luebo, Belgian Congo in Africa, Amelia was the daughter of Presbyterian medical missionaries Dr. Mark Poole and Sara Poole, R.N. She was given the Tshiluba name Mabintshi by the tribal King, and shared many unique experiences growing up in Africa with her dear sister, Elizabeth. Amelia was a sixth generation Texan, her family having settled in Texas as part of the Austin Colony. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Art from Austin College in Sherman, Texas in 1959 and went on to graduate first in her class from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in 1962 as a Registered Nurse. It was in Sherman that she met the one and only love of her life and heart, Joe Sudderth. Amelia and Joe married in 1962 in Bay City, Texas. Amelia devoted much of her life to volunteer work. She was an active member and officer of First Presbyterian Church, particularly focused on world missions and found great joy and comfort in her faith and church community. She also volunteered through Columbus Avenue Baptist Church’s Internationals’ Neighbors program for over forty years, helping hundreds of people obtain their US citizenship. She supported every activity her children and grandchildren were involved in and was honored with two PTA life memberships for her work with Waco Public Schools. Amelia had a gift for making those around her feel valuable, ensuring that those in her life knew they were important, loved, and remembered. She never let a birthday, anniversary, or holiday go by without celebrating. Whether it was taking the time to find the perfect greeting card, baking bunny-shaped cookies on Easter, or using her beautiful artistic skills to decorate a cake, her loved ones were always cared for. She radiated kindness, and brought a calm, peaceful presence to everyone she encountered, a true listener. Amelia enjoyed many traveling adventures, from family road trips and campouts to romantic vacations with Joe, but she truly valued a quiet, relaxed environment. You would often find her on the couch happily reading her latest book-club novel, a good biography, or the writings of Carl Jung and Morton Kelsey. If she wasn’t reading, she was solving a crossword puzzle, listening to music, catching up with friends or family on the phone, or answering Jeopardy questions with Joe. She laughed and smiled easily and enjoyed life’s simple pleasures: a hot cup of coffee (with cream and sugar please), selecting a chocolate or two from an assorted box, and reading the funny papers. Amelia was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Mark and Sara Poole of Bay City, and her sister, Elizabeth (and Don) Shepherd of Tow, TX., and two sisters who died in infancy in Africa. Amelia is survived by her loving husband, Joe Sudderth, her three children Mark (and Margaret) Sudderth of Ft Worth, David Sudderth of Waco, and Sara (and Bryan) Shippey of Austin. Amelia’s five granddaughters brought her so much joy: Darla (and Anthony) Madrid of Houston, Anna Sudderth of Philadelphia, Martha Sudderth of Minneapolis, and Faith and Ellen Shippey of Austin. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and friends whom she thought of as family. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the International Mission Fund of First Presbyterian Church of Waco, the Internationals’ Neighbors program of Columbus Ave Baptist Church of Waco, or a charity of your choice. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our "Tribute Wall" at www.WHBfamily.com.