SERVICES:        Monday, December 26, 2022

First Baptist Church of New Augusta

2:00 p.m.

INTERMENT:    Carter-McSwain Cemetery

VISITATION:   Monday, December 26, 2022

First Baptist Church of New Augusta

12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, December 26, 2022, at First Baptist Church of New Augusta, for Mr. Rufus E. "Sonny" Sistrunk, age 82, of New Augusta.  Mr. Sistrunk passed from this life on December 21, 2022 (the day of his 82nd birthday).   Bro. Gary Gleason will officiate the service with burial to follow in Carter-McSwain Cemetery just north of New Augusta.  Pallbearers will be Jeffery Sistrunk, Dick Powell, Bailee Hickman, Larry Fairley, Mark Cooper, and Shane Jordan.

Mr Sistrunk graduated from Oak Grove High School in 1957. He attended Pearl River Junior College where he sang in the choir and also attended USM for a time.  He served in the Mississippi National Guard from 1963-1970.  He owned a Suzuki motorcycle dealership in Hattiesburg from 1973-1975.  He worked for Ford Motor Credit in Hattiesburg for a number of years.  He then began a career in heavy equipment sales with John Deere Corporation which took him to Wyoming.  Following this, he and his family moved to Utah and then returned to Mississippi for a brief time, then moved to New Mexico, Texas, and ultimately back home. He was a general contractor for many years prior to retirement.  He proudly served for 11 years as a board member for Lamb and Lion Ministries based out of McKinney, Texas.  He was an avid book collector with over 4,000 books in his collection.  He was a wonderful historian and took every opportunity to talk about history, the Bible, and try to spread the Gospel of Christ.  He was proud of his photography hobby and did photography for many weddings over the years including that of his niece Heather Cooper for her marriage to Shane Jordan.

Mr. Sistrunk was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. Ozro Sistrunk and Edna Posey Sistrunk, whom many might remember as having been a teacher for both Oak Grove and Perry County Schools.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Janet Sistrunk of New Augusta; son, Jonathan Sistrunk of Houston, TX; brother, Kenneth Sistrunk of Ocean Springs; nephew, Jeffrey Emmett Sistrunk; niece, Samantha Sistrunk-Anastasiou; and great nieces and nephews, Jacob Emmett, Trinity, Zachary, Vivien, and Vincent.