Minnie (Sur) Slaughter Obituary

December 27, 1931 ~ October 12, 2023

91 Years Old

Obituary

Funeral service for Minnie Slaughter will be held at 12:00pm on Friday, October 20, 2023 at First Christian Church with Terry Hodge officiating.  Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.  Visitation will be held prior to the service, beginning at 10:30am.

Minnie Shang Min Sur Ellison Slaughter passed away Thursday, October 12, 2023 at Nacogdoches Medical Center in Texas.

Minnie was born December 27, 1931 in Honolulu, Hawaii Territory, to parents Bong Yul and Rose Kiehm Sur. The fourth of five siblings, she spent her later childhood at a Korean Christian orphanage on Oahu with her baby brother Mike after WW2 took her older brothers off to war.

As a young adult serving in the Air Force, she met and soon married TSgt Bobby “Bugs” Ellison, also in the Air Force, in September 1954. Home was where the military sent them, and she and Bugs raised their five daughters on bases in Hawaii, Texas and Alaska. Bugs died in a car accident in 1970 in Fairbanks, AK. His brother, Arthur “Doc” Ellison encouraged Minnie to settle in Nacogdoches, TX for the opportunities it offered her and her daughters and for its proximity to her late husband’s family. She established herself as a working mom and single parent, attending night classes at Massey Business College and working for Texas Farm Products and later for the US Social Security Administration from which she retired. 

In 1981, Minnie married Joe Slaughter, a gentle and kind partner. The two enjoyed traveling, and over their twenty years together, saw much of North America by cruise ship and RV. Bravely, they often included their young grandchildren on adventures. Minnie was always certain to stock a freezer with ice cream sandwiches and Drumsticks to appease them. Joe passed away in December 2001 leaving Minnie a widow once again. 

Throughout her golden years, Minnie volunteered as the “juice cart lady” at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, delivering snacks and juices to patients, as well as a charter member of the Pilot Club. A lover of quiet entertainment, one would often find her solving crosswords, reading the paper, playing Mahjong on her iPad, watching game shows, or catching the latest movie release with family members in tow. Her daughter Dana, a constant companion, dutifully helped her with everyday tasks as she battled persistent ailments and pains over her final few years. 

Minnie was adored by all for her selfless generosity, her joyful soul, and her steadfast faith in Jesus. She lived her life as an example of a resilient, independent woman who loved and leaned on the Lord through seasons of both prosperity and hardships. The family would like to thank First Christian Church, Minnie’s dear church family, for their faithful support even as age prevented her from physically attending services. We are confident Minnie is delighting in Heaven, her body whole again and free of pain!

Minnie is survived by her adult daughters Dana Ellison of Nacogdoches, TX, Tracy and husband Bill Murray of Bernardston, MA, Cindy and husband Gary Brandon and Kelley and husband Steve Hopson both of Nacogdoches, TX, and Lorna Greenwood and husband Rich Overbeck of Dallas, TX; her grandchildren Adam and wife Elise Brandon of Gainesville, VA, Abby and husband Jason Scorsonelli of Nacogdoches, TX, Ty Murray of Greenfield, MA, Robert Hopson and Jeffrey Hopson, both of Nacogdoches, TX, Maggie and husband Dustin Maury of Nantucket, MA, and Emily Hopson of Lacy-Lakeview, TX; great-grandchildren including Addison, Sydney, Augustus, Wylie, and Liv; as well as Joe’s sons Ed and wife Connie Slaughter, and Tom Slaughter; their children Dustin and wife Tina Slaughter, Tyler Slaughter, Gwen and husband Richard Petronzio, and Megan and husband Jeremy Chacon; and their grandchildren Shelby, Kaeden, Byron, Isla, Wren, Zoe, and Oliver; sister-in-law, Verl McGough of Hemphill; as well as numerous nieces and nephews in Texas and Hawaii.

She was preceded in death by her parents, by her brothers Alfred, Herbert, Robert, and Mike Sur, and by other cherished family members. 

Pallbearers include her sons-in-law, grandsons, grandson-in-law, and pseudo-son-in-law David Brandon.

If you wish to honor Minnie, consider donating to First Christian Church of Nacogdoches.  

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Minnie (Sur) Slaughter, please visit our floral store.