Rose-Mann Chapel
Sula Jane Hensley Inklebarger, age 94, went dancing into the light of God's perfect love and grace and into the waiting arms of her parents, W.S. Hensley and Goldie Blanche Shaffer Hensley, her husband, William (Bill) Ledgerwood Inklebarger, her son, Captain William Steven (Steve) Inklebarger, who was killed in an Army rescue helicopter crash in 1982, and her brother, Carl Hensley early in the morning on June 03, 2020 of heart failure.
She was born on September 9, 1925 in Haysi, VA. During the Depression, her father was fortunate to get a job with the Clinchfield Railroad because he had learned the Morse Code from his brother-in-law. They moved from one small railroad town to another, finally settling in Erwin, TN. Sula was named by her grandmother and never learned where the name originated. She recalls her mother ran a restaurant in the small railroad town, always keeping a pot of beans cooking for anyone who was hungry. She also recalls trading an egg for a piece of candy at the local general store. Shoes were also rationed at the time to only one new pair of shoes a year. When Sula left for college, her mother gave her a shoe coupon for a new pair of shoes so that her daughter would have two new pairs of shoes, one casual pair and one dressy pair. These examples contributed to Sula's empathy and compassion for the least, the last, and the lost, and lead eventually to her career as a Social Worker.
Sula attended high school at Unicoi County High School in Erwin, TN and her first year of college at ETSU in Johnson City, TN. She transferred to the University of Tennessee receiving a Degree in Business in 1946, being the first in her family to graduate from college. Later she received a Master's Degree from the College of Social Work at UT.
A member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, she met her future husband while he was visiting his sister at the sorority house. He had just returned from the Army-Air Corps after WWII, and it was love at first sight, as he was dashingly handsome, and she was classy, smart, and beautiful.
During college Sula became a lifelong Vol Football fan, attending games from 1943 until the age of 90 in 2015. She also enjoyed playing bridge, travel, house boating on Norris Lake, camping, reading, including novels, Time Magazine, and the newspaper from cover to cover. Blessed with an excellent memory, she could defend her positions with facts, logic, and experiences. Family gatherings were fun, frequent, and often filled with music.
However, her first love was dancing! She first began dancing to her Grandmother's Victrola as a child in Benhams, VA near Bristol, VA. She recalled dancing the "Hootchie Kootchie" to the record, "California Here I Come." She and her husband, who was an excellent dancer also, continued dancing through the Big Band Era, the Jitterbug, Rock and Roll, especially Elvis, the Twist at Deane Hill Country Club, clogging, and line dancing. After retirement from the Department of Human Services after 30 years, she attending dancing and other activities at her winter home at Mariner's Cove in Southwest Florida. She also enjoyed the beach and "shelling."
Sula was a member of numerous social welfare organizations, the Ossoli Circle, and Centenary United Methodist Church in Erwin, TN. She founded an endowment at UT College of Social Work in memory of her son, Captain William Steven Inklebarger, U.S. Army Helicopter Pilot.
Always classy and in style, Sula loved shopping, especially at Rich's Department Store's the French Room. She loved getting a good bargain and going to the beauty shop every week. As a child, she loved listening to Soap Operas (her pieces) on the radio and later watching them on television with her Grandmother and Mother. Sula continued to watch her pieces for the rest of her life.
She leaves behind her daughter, Elizabeth Lynn Inklebarger Barnes; grandchildren, USAF SMSgt. Steven Barnes and wife Meghan, Heather Barnes Wisniowski and husband John of Dallas, TX; grandchildren Coltman Joseph, Sula Elizabeth, and Jackson Steven Wisniowski. She also leaves her younger sister, Merle Lynn Hensley Woodruff of Erwin, TN; sister-in-law, Charlotte Jean Tipton Hensley; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Sula's parents were descended from country music musicians and the banjo, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin are still part of a family Bluegrass Band. Sula was known for her skill of playing the spoons which has been passed down three generations.
All her loved ones are smiling and rejoicing that she is dancing and playing the spoons in Heaven's Bluegrass Band.
Special thanks to RN Lynn Turner of Amedisys Hospice and care-givers Teairra Moretta, Greta Gashugi, and Jaisha Esklidge.
Friends may call at convenience from 2:00 to 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 4 and from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Friday, June 5 at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Due to the pandemic, there will be a private family graveside service at Lynnhurst Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Memorials may be made to Centenary UMC, 203 N. Elm Ave, Erwin, TN 37650 or William Steven Inklebarger Scholarship at the University of TN College of Social Work, 409 Henson Hall, Knoxville, TN 37916.
Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel.
Online condolences may be extended at www.rosemortuary.com
LINKS
The Erwin Record
http://www.erwinrecord.com
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