Funeral services for Mrs. Alice Sue Crawford Neal, of Carthage, TX, will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010, on her 100th birthday, at the First United Methodist Church in Carthage with Rev. Keefe Cropper, Rev. Leah Hanks, and Dr. Pat Day officiating under the direction of Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Oddfellows Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home. Mrs. Neal passed away on Saturday evening, Dec. 11, 2010, at her home in Carthage.

Alice Sue Crawford Neal was born on Dec. 15, 1910, in Beckville, TX, the only child born to the marriage of the late Bailey Turner and Eunice Harkrider Crawford. She attended Beckville and Carthage Schools. After graduating from Carthage High School, Mrs. Neal attended Trinity University in San Antonio and graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, where she earned a degree in education. Mrs. Neal returned to Beckville to teach first grade. On May 28, 1932, she married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, John Sandridge Neal, Jr. and he preceded her in death on March 23, 1999. In an article in the Panola Watchman, Mr. and Mrs. Neal gave their faith in God and the Bible, credit for their 67 years of happily married life.

Mrs. Neal was a homemaker for most of her life, as well as a wonderful loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She served as past president of the Carthage Book Club, where she was an active member for many years. While serving as a member of the Book Club, she was on the committee for the selection of the gazebo and for the landscaping of the Carthage Town Square. She was also a longtime member of the Carthage Music Club.

Mrs. Neal was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church in Carthage for over 78 years. She loved her church and was a very active member of the Gleaners Sunday School Class, the United Methodist Women, the Methodist Women's Bible Study Group, and taught a children's Sunday school class for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Neal enjoyed spending time with family, friends, going to church, and traveling.

Mrs. Neal loved Panola County, was loved by her family and friends, and will be greatly missed by all.

A devoted family leader, Mrs. Neal is survived by her daughter, Susanne Neal Golden and husband Grady; grandsons, Alan Ray Tipton, Jr. and wife Mary, Grady Carlton Golden, Jr. and wife Rachel, and David Christopher Golden; granddaughter, Karen Elizabeth Golden James; nephew, Forrest Roberts and wife Carol Sue; great-granddaughters, Ansley Elizabeth Tipton, Corinne Arabella Tipton, Kristen Nicole James, Ann Marie Brittain, Sydney Elizabeth Brittain; and great-grandsons, Neal Alan Tipton, Grady Carlton Golden, III, and William Levi Golden.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Mrs. Neal's loving caregivers, Kay Acker, Sue Smith, Mavis Powell, Gail Matlock, Amy Juarez, Judy Ulrich, Joy Denton, and Beverly Ware.

Serving as pallbearers are Lynn Vincent, Jim Payne, John Cooke, Charles Thomas, J.R. Duke, David
Bush, and Gene Giles.

If desired, the family requests that memorials be made to the First United Methodist Church, 201 S. Shelby, Carthage, TX 75633.

A guestbook may be signed online at www.jimerson-lipsey.com.