Susie Anna Peek Simmons, of Warren, Ark., died Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2021, in Warren. She was 89.
Born November 25, 1931, in Warren, she was a daughter of the late Henry Franklin Peek and Mary Jane Oakley. Susie and her late husband, Harold Edward Simmons (1927-1995), whom she married January 25, 1953, were longtime members of Immanuel Baptist Church of Warren.
Susie was a dedicated wife, proud mother and enthusiastic homemaker. She loved to garden, travel, and cook, and was locally-famous for her homemade dinner rolls. She was not famous for her punctuality. Before marriage, she worked as a telephone switchboard operator, an early communications position. Those close to Susie know that armed with her innate gift of gab, this was a career in which she was destined to flourish. Harold’s favorite joke was always the old bit, “Did Mr. Smith have any last words? No; his wife was with him right to the end.”
Susie was also preceded in death by her brother, Thomas Peek, and sister, Ruby Peek Lassiter. Survivors include her sister, Mary Frances Peek Taylor (Royce), of Pine Bluff, and Rufus Peek (Jennita), of Warren. She is also survived by her three children, Joanna Simmons McAtee (Jeffrey), of Seattle, Wash.; Stewart Lee Simmons (Cheryl), of Warren; and Jonathan Edward Simmons (Cindy), of Marianna; her eight grandchildren, Mindy Simmons Helmer (Warren), Ridgeland, Miss.; Stewart Lee Simmons, Jr. (Lindsey), Cameron, N.C.; Kathryn Oakley McAtee, Charleston, S.C.; Mary Margaret McAtee, Seattle, Wash.; Julia Merritt McAtee, San Diego, Calif.; Jacob Simmons (Hannah); Lauren Simmons, all of Jonesboro; and Anna Simmons, Denver, Colo. She is also survived by two great-grandchildren.
A graveside service was held Friday, September 17, at Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery in Warren by Frazer’s Funeral Home. www.frazerfuneralhome.com
