‘She was a staple’: Portland residents remember late community figure Parnell Suttle

PORTLAND, Tenn. (WKRN) — A community pillar in Portland was laid to rest on Wednesday.

Parnell Suttle, known simply as “Ms. Parnell,” passed away Sunday, Sept. 29 at the age of 98. She was a lifetime Portland resident.

“Very sad. It’s almost like the winds been taken out of our sails a little bit. You can tell, I mean, it’s a little bit different today,” said Toby Sabie, a lieutenant with the Portland Police Department.

From working in the strawberry industry that defines the city, to working at the county jail well into her 80s, Suttle is most remembered for her cakes, which she would bake for all people and any occasion. She earned the moniker “cake lady” by the community.

To say they were popular would be an understatement.

“She baked two cakes for the education foundation [auction], and those two cakes brought in $2,900,” said Sherri Ferguson, a friend of Suttle’s and the former CEO of Portland’s Chamber of Commerce.

“[They] were the most delicious cakes you ever had, and those were the talk of the county, to be honest with you,” detailed Sabie. “I don’t think she ever met anybody that wasn’t her friend. She was definitely our friend . ”

“She made Portland what it is for me,” wrote Suttle’s neighbor, Lauren Shelby, over social media. “She was the sweetest and most giving woman. To know Ms Parnell was to love her.”

“She was a staple,” said Sabie.

“Finding that person to be the next Ms. Parnell is going to be tough, because every community has got to have one. And she has really given back for so long,” Ferguson added.

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There have been 83 Strawberry Festivals in Portland. Suttle reportedly attended every single one of them. A friend to everyone, she was recognized countless times over the years, including being named “Citizen of the Year” in 2021.

She was so proud of that award, she apparently kept it on her coffee table for all her guests to see.

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