Sue Duren

Earle Sue Lee Duren, age 86, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children, on January 7, 2019, in Memphis, Tennessee, after a brief illness. Sue was born September 25, 1932 in Royal, Arkansas to Willis Earl Lee and Effie Crystal Jewell Lee. May of 1954, she married her best friend and lifelong love, Eugene (Gene) Victor Duren, who preceded her in death in 2005. During the post-depression era of her youth, spent near Royal, Sunshine, and Bear, Sue grew to know and rely upon the Lord, and she was baptized in the crystal-clear waters of an Arkansas creek in the 1940s. At an early age she became a talented seamstress and skilled pianist. Her talents and hobbies included cooking, gardening, singing, and reading. In the early 1950s, Sue relocated from Hot Springs, Arkansas to Houston, Texas with the Jefferson Davis School of Nursing as her destination. Upon graduation as a Registered Nurse in 1953, she and Gene entered years of career moves which placed them working in the Houston area, Overland Park, Kansas, Lake St. Louis, Missouri and Magnolia, Texas. During these years, she served as a Red Cross Volunteer, Girl Scout Leader, and was until her passing an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Sue retired from nursing in 1993, leaving Conroe Regional Medical Center Hospital as a charge nurse on the 2 South Floor. The colleagues, friendships, and neighbors she respected and loved are countless, and she continued to maintain contact with them through the years. The true joy of Sue’s life was found in the children she raised with Gene. She was especially proud of Richard, Barbara, and Janet. The fact that they are all Christians and that this faith is embraced by their own children, is a hallmark legacy of Sue’s witness. Sue is survived by her son and his wife, Richard and Barbara Duren of Conroe, TX, and two daughters and their husbands, Barbara and John Moore of Germantown, TN, and Janet and Stan Epperson of Hot Springs, AR. Also surviving are beloved grandchildren Mark Duren, Nathan Moore, Clayton and wife Rachel Moore, Kaitlin Vaughn, Eileen Vaughn, and Evan Vaughn. Sue is also survived by families of treasured nephews, nieces, cousins, and precious friends. She loved all of these and touched each life deeply. Besides her husband, Sue is preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Jewell, Katherine, Ruby, and Shirley, and by numerous relatives and ancestors. The mystery of true love and the love of Christ was reflected in Sue’s life. She is missed but is with her husband whom she loved beyond description and, together now, they are radiant in the presence of their Lord and Savior. We will see her again and it is simply a veil that separates us now. On January 19, 2019, a private Graveside Service will take place at Magnolia Memorial Gardens, adjacent to Magnolia Funeral Home. Immediately following, a Memorial Service will begin at 1:00pm at Magnolia's First Baptist Church, in the Chapel. A brief time of coffee and sharing will immediately follow this service, and at approximately 2:00 p.m., everyone is invited to a Fellowship/Reception at the home of the late Mrs. Sue Duren, at 335 San Angelo Drive, Magnolia, Texas 77354 (in the Windmill Estates Subdivision in downtown Magnolia). This is a potluck event, and everyone is invited to bring food as well as fold up/lawn chairs, etc. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Special Olympics Organization and/or St. Patrick Presbyterian Church, Building Fund, Collierville, TN.