Cullison, Ronald Eugene
Obituary
Cullison, Mr. Ronald Eugene—May 24, 1988. Age forty-five. Survived by his wife, Mrs. Sharon M. Cullison, Brentwood; father, Mr. Henry Cullison, Sebring, Florida; three sons, Bradley E. Cullison, Eric D. Cullison, and Brent L. Cullison; sister, Mrs. Ellen Kelpinger, Columbus, Ohio; brothers, Jesse Cullison, Dayton, Ohio, Lemont Cullison, Newark, Ohio. Mr. Cullison is in the Dogwood Room at Woodlawn, where family will receive friends, 2:00-4:00 and 6:00 till 9:00 PM, Thursday. Funeral services will be conducted from the Otter Creek Church of Christ, 1:00 PM, Friday, May 27, 1988, with Minister Russ Corley officiating. Friends will serve as pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Agape of Nashville. Interment at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. Arrangements by Woodlawn Funeral Home, 383-4754.
Comments by Ron’s widow, Sharon Cullison Thweatt
Ron became a Christian at age nineteen. He worked for a while in different types of ministry and eventually decided his calling was to be a family counselor. Ron was the first full-time marriage and family therapist at Agape. He loved helping people and felt like what he did was a way he could serve God. He was always aware of ways he could help people, even when he was not at work. Ron eventually went into private practice. He was mostly involved with marriage counseling and child abuse counseling, for both physical and sexual abuse. Ron loved his Lord. The most important things in his life were his Lord, his wife and three sons, and other people.
Comments by Sandra Collins
My memories of Ron include his great desire to explain Romans to every class he was asked to teach. I would laugh and say that he would teach it to the two-year-olds if someone asked him. Paul’s explanation of grace had changed Ron’s life, and he believed that if we really understood what God had done for us, we too would be changed in every detail of our lives—our marriages, our parenting, our work. He tried hard to make grace clear to everyone because he saw so many sad lives in his counseling sessions.
Another memory is of the day the old, newly expanded Otter Creek building was refurbished. I watched in amazement as Ron laid blue carpet. I had never seen someone work so fast and so competently on his knees without occasionally stopping. We all knew he could work hard when we saw that he had hauled barn timber from a distance to build his log cabin home and put most of it up alone till friends decided he needed help.
A third memory occurred in the old Otter Creek kitchen where Sharon and I were helping clean up after a Wednesday night meal before services started. He came in the kitchen door late from work, put his arm around
1Ron, Sharon, Brent, Eric, and Brad
Sharon, and whispered, “Let’s go get some ice cream,” and they did. That was a romantic moment worthy of a good movie, but real.
One of my last memories was when he preached his last sermon, having just returned from an OC mission trip to Belize. He preached a full, detailed, passionate sermon on baptism, which he believed we did not discuss enough. Then at some point before leaving the stage, he talked about the mission trip and, with tears in his eyes and a catch in his throat, said, “I couldn’t bear to leave behind all those fatherless children.” On a later occasion, I recall his asking us to pray for a case he would be testifying about the next day. He believed a father had been sexually abusing his son and asked that we pray Ron’s testimony would convince the court. Ron worried about what would happen if the father won the case. As I recall, he came home the next day with a terrible headache. Before many days had passed, Ron, who loved his own sons so deeply, suffered an aneurysm. As I recall, the doctor said that if Ron lived seven days, he might survive. Otter Creek members and others flooded the halls and waiting room, praying, as were people everywhere who knew him. On the seventh day, he raised his head briefly and died.
Cullum, Anne Dunlap . . . 1/4/2013
CULLUM, Anne Dunlap, age eighty-five, of Nashville, TN, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 4, 2013, at her home in Franklin, TN. She was the third child of the late James Bascom and Minnie Pearl Flora Dunlap, born on December 14, 1927. A devoted wife, mother, and friend, Anne was a lifelong member of the churches of Christ, most recently as a member of Acklen Avenue Church of Christ. She is a graduate of David Lipscomb College ('49) and David Lipscomb High School ('45). She is preceded in death by her husband, Edward Neely Cullum, and her brother James Bascom Dunlap, Jr. Anne is survived by her sister Emma (Tom) Staton; her son Ward (Lisa) Cullum; and her grandchildren, Sarah, Ross, and Lucy Cullum, who will cherish memories of her endless love and kindness. A visitation with family and friends will be held from 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Monday, January 7, 2013, at Woodlawn Roesch-Patton Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony to remember her life will be held on Tuesday, January 8, 2013, at eleven o'clock at Acklen Avenue Church of Christ, with visitation one hour prior at the church. Arrangements by Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37204. (615)-383-4754
Comments by Pam White
Anne Cullum was grace personified. She was a wonderful companion and homemaker for her husband, Ed Neely and son Ward. Her friendships crossed the boundaries of age, race, education, socio-economic status; and everyone I knew who knew her treasured her friendship. She was a most practical homemaker, perfecting the washing of turnip greens in mesh bags in the clothes washer, among her many innovations. Joe and I surprised our parents, asking for a wedding only ten days after deciding to marry. My mother managed to give me a perfect wedding in that time, including making my wedding dress. Anne, realizing how busy we both were, surprised us by buying me my trousseau . . . and a beautiful one it was! I loved to hear Anne’s beautiful alto voice in song.