Mrs. Harriette Sullivan

SULLIVAN, Mrs. Harriette Janita, age 84 of Franklin, TN, passed away peacefully at her home, April 16, 2014, and went to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Born on December 04, 1929, she came into this world with a mother who had tuberculosis. She remembered her devoutly Christian mother praying and sewing in bed and on better days she could only kiss our mother on the back of the neck. When mom was twelve, her mother was feeling well enough to attend her eighth grade graduation. She made herself two silk suits, a pink and a blue, and was finally able to go to their Nazarene church every Sunday. Our mother was so proud and happy, but then tragedy struck--a house fire that took her older sister and mother. She said she could see in her mother's eyes in those last hours that she was asking questions: "what will happen to Janita? Will she flourish and find her way?" She did, and by age 18, she was really turning her heart upward and seeking God's face. She met and married James Cletus Sullivan. He was called to preach the gospel, and they evangelized for many years all over Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. They traveled with three children and when the fourth came along, they returned to their hometown and began building a church in Franklin, Tennessee, thriving today as Life Change Minstries. At age 35, she graduated from George Peabody College and taught first grade for 23 years. Mom and Dad served in the ministry for the rest of their lives with the United Pentecostal Church. In their early 70s, they assisted missionaries in South Africa, in Uruguay, and finally went to Ireland where they had bible studies door to door to begin a church in Ireland. They prayed for God to send a younger family, and the McFarland's came along. Mom and Dad supported that work which is still there to this day. When our dad began to battle Alzheimer's, they returned to the states, where our mother lovingly cared for him until his dying day. She lived out the rest of her days still attending church services with family and friends. She has influenced so many people, especially her 4 children and 14 grandchildren. She loved cooking for everyone, and never met a stranger. She enjoyed giving encouragement and praise to anyone who would listen. She was especially supportive and loving towards brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. Even until her dying day, new people were coming into her life and saying how special she was. We will greatly miss her baby blue eyes smiling back at us and the warmth of a hug and a kiss from her and the way she could make you feel so much better whenever you were having a bad day. Rest in peace, dear mother. We can't wait to see you, Dad, and the others who are waiting for us in Heaven. She is preceded in death by her husband, Rev. James Cletus Sullivan, Sr. and parents, Creasy and Etta West Smithson. Survived by sons, James "Jim" Sullivan and Mark (Diana) Sullivan; daughters, Susan (Kevin) Phillips and Anita (Glenn) Lewis; brother, Harris Smithson; grandchildren, Charita, Ryan, Justin, Savannah, Lori, Mandy, Amber, Carrie, Ben, Autumn, Andrea, Arin, Marina, John Cletus, Valerie, Blake and Scott; great grandchild, Chania. Funeral services will be held 12:00PM Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, Ron Becton and Jonathan McElhaney officiating. Interment, Williamson Memorial Gardens with Scott Armstrong officiating. Grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Visitation will be held 4-8:00PM Monday and one hour prior to the service on Tuesday at WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, 3009 Columbia Ave. Franklin, TN. 37064, 615-794-2289 www.williamsonmemorial.com

Visitation Details

Monday, April 21st, 2014 4:00pm - 8:00pm, Williamson Memorial Funeral Home

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm, Williamson Memorial Funeral Home

Service Information

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 12:00pm, Williamson Memorial Funeral Home

Interment Details

Williamson Memorial Gardens