Imogene Ann Sullivan passed into the hands of her loving Savior on Tuesday, March 28, 2022 at the Arbors of Gulf Breeze, Gulf Breeze, Florida after a determined 16 year battle with Parkinson’s disease with dementia. She was 81 years old. A celebration of Imogene‘s life will be held on June 4, 2022 at First Baptist Church of Poplar Bluff. A ceremony celebrating her life will be held in the chapel at 1 p.m. with a dinner immediately following in the fellowship hall. All are invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Annie Armstrong Missions Offering c/o First Baptist Church of Poplar Bluff in her name.
Imogene was born on May 11, 1940, to Charles Milford (Bill) Elledge and Nettie Mae (formerly Shamblin) Elledge in Wappapello, Missouri. She is survived by one sister, June Patterson of Poplar Bluff; one daughter, Dr. Christine Tenniswood (husband David) with four grandchildren: Abigail, Samuel, Grace, and Joshua all of Gulf Breeze, Florida, and one son, Dr. Charles Sullivan (wife Andrea) of Overland Park, Kansas and their seven children: Emma Lee, of Stillwater, Oklahoma; Annemarie, John Mark, Eden Rose, Allegra Mae, Tyndale, and Jedidiah.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 59 years, Dorse Lee (Mick) Sullivan, her brother Jim Elledge, and her sister Ellen Hall. In addition, she is survived as well by numerous nieces and nephews.
Imogene graduated from Puxico High School in 1958, then attending briefly at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. Later she came back to the Poplar Bluff area, and after working for a few years graduated from Three Rivers Community College. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Memphis State University (now called University of Memphis) in 1972. She went on to obtain her Masters degree in elementary education via the Webster Groves extension program and had actually accumulated an additional 12 hours towards her PhD by the time she was done. She also obtained a library certification. She taught for two years in Memphis and then over 22 years in the Poplar Bluff school district teaching all the while touching many young lives through her career.
Her Christian faith was of utmost importance to Imogene. She diligently imparted that love of God to her children. In Poplar Bluff she was an active member of Temple Baptist Church and in later years First Baptist Church of Poplar Bluff. After their retirement Imogene and Mick moved to Overland Park Kansas area to be near the kids and grandkids. She kept busy keeping house, volunteering as a book reader at Maranatha Academy as well as a faithful member of Grace Church of Overland Park. All of this while being a very devoted grandmother to her 11 grandchildren. She faithfully cared for Mick in their later years until his passing three years ago. She will be sorely missed.