Sudduth, Williams Family Reunion celebrates local ties
An African-american family that traces its roots to Oktibbeha County back to the 1800s is celebrating 40 years of honoring their ancestors and celebrating the love of family passed down by forbearers.
The ancestors of the Sudduth and Williams family have been a part of the Oktibbeha County fabric since as early as 1843 and hosted a family reunion over the weekend.
This family has been in Oktibbeha County for well over 176 years. The roots of the family are planted deep and today, the family consists of professionals that include physicians,
William Asbury (Bill) Simmons was born on January 30, 1924 to Edwin and Rowena Lyle Simmons in Lauderdale, Mississippi and was raised in the community of Kewanee. He passed away July 12, 2019 at his home. He was 95.
He attended Dixie Highway school and graduated as valedictorian. He attended Meridian Junior College where he graduated with highest honors. Bill spent a year in the US Army after WWII, processing servicemen out of the military. He attended Mississippi State University majoring college professors, elementary/high educators, attorneys, politicians, clergy, and those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
The first reunion was held in Starkville in August 1979.
The family cites the focal point of the Sudduth and Williams family reunion as L. A. Sudduth and Cloteal Williams Sudduth and their 11 children who lived to reach adulthood.
The family lost their father, L. A in 1954. Prior to their mother’s death in 1973, after she expressed a desire for her children and their families to gather to celebrate family for joyous occasions and not only in accounting and income tax receiving BS and MS degrees. He passed the CPA exam at his first sitting and practiced accounting parttime while working full-time teaching accounting at Mississippi State University for 39 years. After his retirement from MSU in 1987, he practiced accounting full-time until 2014. At one time, he was the oldest practicing CPA in Mississippi.
Bill taught honors accounting classes and was Honors Accounting Professor of the year. He was also voted outstanding teacher of the year from the College of for funerals.
After much planning and coordinating, in August of 1979, the family held its first family reunion. Throughout it’s history, the Sudduth and Williams Family Reunions have also included the descendants of the siblings of L. A. Sudduth and the descendants of the siblings of Cloteal Williams Sudduth.
For 40 years, the family has gathered bi-annually to celebrate family. In addition to the birthplace of the family, in Starkville, the reunions have been hosted in Chicago,, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Business. He is a past president of the Mississippi CPA Society. He loved teaching and loved seeing his students excel.
Locally, he served as a director of First Federal Savings and Loan and served on the Advisory board of Bancorpsouth.
Bill was active at the First United Methodist Church and served as Treasurer (pro-bono) for 28 years. He loved to usher and served his church in that capacity for many years. He loved being a Methodist. He was a member of Inquirers Sunday School Class and served as its treasurer.
He was a Rotarian and served as president of Starkville Rotary Club and was Rotarian of the year. He served as District Treasurer under Merrill Hawkins’ tenure as Governor of District 6820. When Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast and many surrounding areas, the Starkville Rotary Club was instrumental in collecting and disbursing almost a million dollars to victims. Stuart Vance was the instigator and Bill served as treasurer. All the funds were disbursed by him under the advisement of the Club. He personally acknowledged every donation.
As a 40-year-old bachelor, he fell in love with Evelyn Ganann Lott, a delta widow with two children. They were married on December 19,1964 and he moved his new family to Starkville.
Bill is survived by his wife Evelyn and his children Bryan Lott (Myrna) and Lynn Lott Barron (Terry). He had four granddaughters, Ashley Lott, Courtney Lott Allen, Allyn Barron, and Lauren Barron Ramsey (Jake). He had five great grandchildren Simmons, Elliot and Ayden Allen and Rush and Gray Ramsey.
He is also survived by his sister Alta (Tee) Daugherty, nieces Sarah Radamacher, Tookie Hazlerig (Keith) and nephew Bill Daugherty (Kay). His great nieces Simmons Skinner(russell), Caroline Van Eaten (Billy) and Virginia Carter (Liles). His great nephews Jonathan & Chip Daugherty and Collin, Cameron, T.C. and Nash Radamacher.
The family would like to thank his faithful and loving caregivers from Neighbors Heart and Baptist Hospice.
Visitation will be Wednesday, July 17 from 10 am -12 at the First United Methodist Church in Starkville with the service at noon. Interment will be at Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Simmons Accounting Excellence Fund, P.O Box 6149. Mississippi State, MS 39762 or the Starkville First United Methodist Church.