Sue Rose Zimmerman Sutherland, 89, formerly of Johnson City, Tennessee, passed away on the evening of Thursday, December 29, 2022, in her home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, after a brief battle with cancer.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 28, at 1 p.m. at Grandview Christian Church in Johnson City. A Memorial Service will follow at 2 p.m.
Sue was born August 4, 1933, the daughter of Leslie and Pauline (Wright) Zimmerman. She married Joe Sutherland on August 23, 1956. Married 66 years, they exemplified the true meaning of marriage and dedication.
Sue was the firstborn of 2 children and is survived by her sister, Dr. Caroline Zimmerman, of Largo, Florida. Her parents owned farms in south central Ohio; she attended elementary school in Sabina and high school in Hillsboro. She went on to complete an undergraduate degree in music at The Ohio State University and later completed a Master’s Degree in Christian Education at Emmanuel Christian Seminary.
Sue and Joe lived and served the Lord in many locations throughout the years. While the majority of their ministry time was in Johnson City, they also served churches in Louisville, Kentucky; Lansing, Michigan; Kingsport, Tennessee; Canton, Ohio; Longmont, Colorado; Buckie, Scotland; Plainfield, Illinois; and Davenport, Florida.
Sue was a trailblazer in creating small groups long before they were commonplace. She was passionate about leading small groups, bringing up small group leaders and mentoring other women to become the women that God created them to be. Sue was also in charge of leading worship at many of the churches in which she and Joe served.
Sue and Joe were passionate about giving back to the Lord. Some of their favorite ministries included their local church (wherever they were at the time) as well as Emmanuel Christian Seminary, Milligan University, and Pioneer Bible Translators, to name only a few. Sue and a group of friends called on shut-ins for several years and she loved serving at the One Acre Cafe in Johnson City.
In the fall of 2022, Sue and Joe moved to Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to be closer to family. She loved God devotedly and was just beginning to find her place at Providence Church in Mt. Juliet.
Sue loved her family greatly and was generous with her time and attention. Sue supported her family in all they did and led by example through her faith in God, her love for her husband and her love for her family.
Sue is survived by her husband, Joe; three children, Laurie Schreiner of Glendora, California; Paul (Katie) Sutherland of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee; Tim Sutherland of Knoxville, Tennessee; five grandchildren, Lindsey McDowell of Antioch, Tennessee; Andrew (Chloe) Sutherland of Waco, Texas; Clayton Sutherland of Chicago, Illinois; Chase and Drew Sutherland of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee; four great-grandchildren, Shayla McDowell, Lydia McDowell-Bath, Rory Scarborough, Ellie Sutherland; and sister, Caroline Zimmerman.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Emmanuel Christian Seminary, Emmanuel Fund, P.O. Box 750, Milligan University, Milligan, TN 37682.
