Martha Sue Kirby Shelton

August 23, 1931 - January 11, 2014

Martha Sue Kirby Shelton, age 82, a resident of Poplar Estates in Columbia and a lifelong resident of Clarksville, TN went to her eternal rest on Saturday, January 11, 2014 at Maury Regional Medical Center. Born on August 23, 1931 in Clarksville, she was the daughter of the late Louis B. and Mable McCarty Kirby and the wife of the late Lewis Thomas "Scooter" Shelton. She was a loving mother, adopting her son, Dale in 1957 and raising him as her own. Sue retired as a legal secretary with Judge John Peay, from the Tennessee Court of Appeals in 1999. She started her legal career at the age of 18 with the firm of Boaz and Peay, from there she worked for the Nolan, Catalono & Hestle law firm before returning to work with Judge Peay in the Circuit Court, the Criminal Court and finally the TN Court of Appeals. In the mid 1990s, she was able to travel to Italy and have an audience with the Pope and to her ancestral home of Ireland. She loved animals, needlepoint, watching her favorite programs on TV and reading. She will be remembered by all those that knew and loved her. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her son: Dale Shelton of Columbia, TN; a niece and her husband: Sharon and Sonny Shepard of Fairview; several cousins, great nieces and great nephews. In addition to her parents, Sue was preceded in death by her sister: Mary Louis Kirby McDonald. Visitation with the family will be 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Sunday, January 12th at Heritage Funeral Home in Columbia and 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Monday, January 13th at Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home in Clarksville. A funeral mass will be held Tuesday, January 14th at 10:00 AM in the historic Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Clarksville. Graveside services will follow in the Riverview Cemetery overlooking the Cumberland River in Clarksville. Sue had left a request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to your local animal shelter or your local library. You may share condolences with the family at the top of this page.