Sue Ellen Shull

SUE ELLEN BALLOW SHULL, 76, of Paris, received complete healing from her pain and suffering on this earth from her bed in Paris Regional Medical Center on Thursday February 5, 2015. Following arrangements by Starrett Funeral Home, a service of celebration will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday February 14, 2015 at the First United Methodist Church, 225 Lovers Lane, Athens, Texas 75751, with Rev. Gordon McDaniel and Rev. Lynn Willhite officiating. The family will greet friends at a reception following the service in the church parlor.

Prior to the service, her family will gather for a private ceremony at the Smith Cemetery in Henderson County to lay to rest her earthly remains among her loved ones.

Sue was born September 20, 1938 in Athens, a daughter of Harris and Tennie Mae Shelton Ballow. She was a member of the 1956 graduating class of Athens High School. She lived in various cities across Northeast Texas, alongside her husband J.P., who served as regional manager for the Texas Power and Light Company, later TXU Electric. In each community in which she lived Sue found ways to serve and give freely of herself to community organizations such as the Paris Council of Garden Clubs, the Junior League of Sherman, the Bonham Library Board and the Sam Rayburn House Museum Board, where she volunteered as a Docent. Her busy life as a volunteer, raising her family, and later time with her beloved grandchildren, did notkeepherfrom herlove of gardening, needlepoint, and especially quality time on the tennis court. Sue never tired of the sport, and participated in private matches as well as public tennis competitions, well past her sixtieth birthday.

On June 1, 1957 she married her soulmate, J.P. Shull in Athens, Texas, finding heridealcareer as a wife, mother, and grandmother for over fifty-five years prior to his death on August 18, 2012. She taught love, respect and perseverance to her family, and demonstrated it in her personal life until the end.

In addition to her husband J.P., she was preceded in death by a son, J.P. Shull, III, and her parents Tennie Mae and Harris Ballow.

She leaves her legacy to three surviving children, Mark Shull, of Paris, Travis Shull and wife Cristi, of Lucas, Texas, and Jayna Shull, of Paris;four grandchildren, Amy Shull, Coby Countryman, Luke Shull, and Landry Shull; two brothers, Sam Ballow and Butch Ballow; and "The Girls," Kelly Newsome, and Lindsey Hunnicutt and families, all of Mt. Vernon.

Sue's family requests that in lieu of usual remembrances, memorial contributions be made to the First United Methodist Church, 225 Lovers Lane, Athens, Texas 75751.