Kathryn Wilson Sutton

Kathryn Wilson Sutton, 91, passed away in her Arbor Acres home in Lexington on October 25th with her two loving caregivers at her side. Born in High Point on March 9, 1923 Kathryn’s early life was spent in Burlington and in Snow Camp where she enjoyed her childhood days with her brother James and sister Dot. Her father, Frank Wilson, owned laundry and pressing businesses in Liberty and downtown Burlington. He was also an accomplished musician who left home to pursue his career. Kathryn was 5 years old when she last saw him. Her mother, Edna Totten Wilson, was a seamstress, quilter, mill worker and homemaker. After graduation from Burlington High School in 1941, she married Harold Sutton of Burlington. She worked in Rose’s Department Store and the Paramount Theater in downtown Burlington. During the war she and Harold spent one year in Oak Ridge, Tennessee where he worked on the secret Manhattan Project. In the ‘50s they moved to Greensboro and Kathryn worked for a while as a claims verifier at Pilot Life Insurance. In 1966 they moved to Lexington. In the 1970’s Kathryn began oil painting in the primitive art/folk art genre. Many of her paintings were juried and displayed in the Lexington Art Guild where she was an active member. She and Harold were also active in the American Diabetes Association. On November 1st, 2014 we celebrate the life of a lady who was full of life and positive thinking, and an excellent cook, with a banana pudding specialty! She and Harold loved to dance and she and her daughters did some excellent clogging. Though she was a faithful church participant she would often say, “My feet aren’t Baptist!” Surviving are daughters Betty Sutton Hovis of Bessemer City, Sue Sutton McNutt of Arizona, Edward Harold Sutton Jr. of Burlington; four grandchildren; three great grandchildren and sister Odessa Moss of Charlotte. Asked once what thoughts Kathryn had for her descendants she replied as follows: “I always believed in the bible verse: ‘Whoever uses their talent, more talent will be given.’ My real ambition in life is to be a wife and mother; and now a grandmother and great grandmother. I hope these lives are better for it.” Funeral services, conducted by the Rev. Terry Coats, will be held at 11:30 am Saturday Nov.1, 2014 at Spruce Street Baptist Church. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the service. She will be buried at the Providence Church Cemetery in Graham around 2:30 pm.