Sudie Bailey Sullivan- Born: Sept. 5, 1922
- Died: Jan. 25, 2013
- Buried: Bailey Family Cemetery, Johnston, NC
- Married: Clovis Thomas Sullivan on Oct. 16, 1946
Sudie Bailey Sullivan|
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| Sudie's child with Clovis Thomas Sullivan |
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| Billy Ray Sullivan March 31, 1946 Johnston, NC-Jan. 4, 2022 Middlesex, NC |
Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
Sudie Bailey Sullivan, daughter of Radford and Delia Hill Bailey, entered the world September 5, 1922, in Johnston County, North Carolina. Her birth was attended by Aunt Sylvia Woodard, a skilled midwife who accepted a glass of milk and sweet potatoes as her fee.
Growing up, Sudie was surrounded by music, with a piano in the house where she learned to play "Chopsticks" and often performed duets with her siblings, Rector and Lois.
In 1930, when Sudie was just 8 years old, her father, Radford W. Bailey, suffered a stroke that left him unable to farm. Radford's children, including young Sudie, took on the farm work, with the girls donning overalls and plowing the fields with mules. Five years later, Radford passed away, leaving Delia, Sudie's mother, to rely even more on her children. Despite the hardships, the family persevered, maintaining a large garden and preserving food to survive, with the help of a hired hand known as 'Red.'
Sudie and her sisters Rector and Lois found solace and community at Union Chapel Free Will Baptist Church. She attended school at Stancils Chapel, traveling there by bus.
Sudie met Clovis Thomas Sullivan, the son of Lee and Julie Sullivan, and felt an immediate attraction. However, a serious disagreement led Sudie to marry another man on the rebound, a marriage that quickly ended. She soon reunited with Clovis, who proposed to her. Sudie playfully responded, "Wait on and let me study about it," before eventually saying "Yes."
On March 31, 1946, Sudie gave birth to their son, Billy Ray, at home.
Sudie and Clovis were married by a magistrate on Oct. 16, 1947, in Wilson, North Carolina. At the time, Clovis worked for Percy Flowers, a well-known moonshiner. The newlyweds moved in with Sudie's mother, Delia.
Tragedy struck in 1951 when Sudie's older sister, Annie, was killed by lightning. Annie left behind six children, and the entire family, including Sudie, rallied to support them. Clovis took on various farming jobs, and when Sudie's brother Willie Bailey became in charge of the Dorothea Dix Hill Farm, he helped Clovis secure a job supervising hospital patients who grew vegetables. The couple was provided a house across the road from Willie's, and Sudie worked at a nearby dry cleaners. During this time, Clovis taught Sudie to drive.
Sudie and Clovis also opened their home to Sudie's youngest sister, Lois, while her husband Don was deployed overseas. Lois quickly found work at F.W. Woolworths Five & Ten Cents Store near Raleigh. After a year, Lois joined her husband, and Sudie took a job at Woolworth's as well.
After four years at the farm, Clovis moved on to work for Dover Dairy, where he helped his brother-in-law Fletcher get a job. When this job ended, Clovis found work on another farm. Sudie began working at the Devil Dog Manufacturing Company garment factory in Zebulon, where she spent 15 and a half years as a machine operator.
Sudie was devoted to her family. She participated in quilting bees held on her sister Lois’ back porch and attended Stancil Reunions. Sudie was very close to her sisters Sallie and Lois, her sister-in-law Thelma, and her niece Linda Johnson Davis. She had a deep love for flowers and spent hours tending to her beautiful roses and other plants in her yard. Roses were also her daughter-in-law Linda’s favorite flowers.
In 1963, Sudie's beloved Clovis passed away due to complications from diabetes and heart disease. Sudie, only 40 years old, was left a widow with their son Billy Ray, who was just 17. Clovis was laid to rest in the Bailey Family Cemetery.
In 1969, Sudie's mother, Delia, passed away and was buried beside Radford in the Bailey cemetery. Delia's property was divided among her children, and Sudie received the family home, where she moved back to her childhood roots.
Sudie continued to work, spending seven and a half years at Johnson & Johnson Apparel on Route 222 in Kenly. She temporarily retired but soon found herself taking reservations at the Days Inn Motel on Truck Stop Road in Kenly, thanks to a suggestion from her grandson, Billy Thomas. Sudie worked there for three years until she retired at the age of 65 in 1987.
In 2004, Sudie suffered a stroke and was moved to the Brian Center, a nursing home in Wilson. She looked forward to regular visits from family and friends.
Sudie Bailey Sullivan, the last surviving child of Delia Hill Bailey, passed away at 90 on Jan. 25, 2013, at the Brian Center in Wilson, NC. She was buried in the Bailey Family Cemetery on January 28, 2013.
Sudie will be remembered for her love, devotion, and pride in her family. She delighted in showing relatives the Bailey Family Cemetery, introducing them to family members who lived nearby, and sharing family history and memories. Her legacy of resilience, hard work, and deep familial bonds continues to inspire those who knew and loved her.