Edward E. Sutter III

Funeral services for Edward Sutter will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at the First United Methodist Church with Pastor Katie Hill officiating. Private family burial will follow under the direction of Marshall Funeral Home of Alva. There will be visitation with family from 6-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Marshall Funeral Home. Edward E. Sutter III, son of the late Edward E. Sutter II and Helen Louise (Vore) Sutter, was born April 20, 1950, in Fairview, Oklahoma, and passed away June 10, 2023, at the age of 73. Ed grew up on a farm in the Cheyenne Valley, Oklahoma, and attended Cheyenne Valley Public Schools and Fairview Public Schools. He later graduated from Fairview High School, and then attended and graduated from Oklahoma State University. After college, Ed obtained his law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law. Shortly after graduating from law school, Ed moved to Alva, Oklahoma, where he would practice law for nearly 47 years. For many years, Ed practiced with Eldred Harmon at the law firm of Harmon & Sutter Law, which was later re-named to Edward E. Sutter & Associates. For nearly four decades, Ed’s firm was a staple of businesses located along the square in Alva. Ed was a kind and compassionate attorney, and one of the true joys of his life came from his ability to help others through his law practice. Ed loved his local Alva community, and he had a gift for visionary leadership. He used that gift to help the Alva community each and every day. Ed was instrumental in raising funds and developing the BJCC Benson Chapel and was involved with the Avard Rail Project from its inception. In 1995, Ed was appointed to the Oklahoma Highway Commission by Governor Frank Keating and served in that position for eight years. Ed was an active member of the Woods County Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, Alva Rotary Club, Alva Masonic Lodge, and Rowdy Rangers. To those who knew him, Ed was also a staunch supporter of Alva High School athletics, Alva High School FFA, NWOSU athletics, and his Oklahoma State University Cowboys. On Sunday mornings, Ed could be located at the Alva First United Methodist Church, where he was a member and supporter during his time in Alva. Ed loved learning about the Bible and received great enjoyment from the many Sunday school groups that he was a part of over the years. From 2014 to 2022, Ed served on the Oklahoma Methodist Foundation for the State of Oklahoma. At the time of his death, Ed was serving as a District Chancellor for the Oklahoma Methodist Conference. While he was involved in many aspects of his church, Ed was particularly proud of his foundational work in the Vera Mae Eversole Home that helps keep foster children and their siblings together. Ed had many hobbies, but perhaps his favorite, which he inherited from his Uncle Bob Vore, was owning and raising racehorses. Ed loved beautiful horses. He also engaged in farming and ranching in the Cheyenne Valley where he grew up. Most of Ed’s Saturdays were spent with one or more of his sons on the farm. On June 13, 1981, Ed was united in marriage to Teresa Arndt, and they made their home in Alva for the last 42 years. Ed and Teresa’s home was known for its warmth and hospitality, which was often the location of bridge club, Sunday school parties, and many family get-togethers. Ed was also known for his friendly teasing. If you were a friend or a stranger, Ed’s quick wit and affable personality became immediately apparent. This certainly extended to his kids and grandkids. A child at heart, Ed loved to play and joke with children, whether that be reading endless books, making up stories about escaped alligators, or sword fighting; Ed’s playful orneriness will be missed by all. From Ed and Teresa’s marriage, they had four children: Tiffani Ford and husband, Steve, of Alva, Elliott Sutter and wife, Carley, of Houston, Texas, Matthew Sutter and wife, Naicee, of Alva, and Blair Sutter and wife, Hannah, of Oklahoma City; 12 grandchildren, Shaina, Taylor, Katharina, and Alex Ford, Everett, Wyatt, and Beckett Sutter, Bonnie and Alice Sutter, and Mason, Hal, and Will Sutter; one great grandchild, Francesca Monoessy; one brother, Phillip Sutter and wife, Jane, of Enid; one sister, Sonna McKee and husband, Alan, of Litchfield Park, Arizona; his mother-in-law, Katharina Arndt of Alva; sisters-in-law, Tena Martin and husband, Mike, of Alva, and Rita Peterson and husband, Miles, of Alva; nieces, nephews, cousins, many other relatives and friends. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his father-in-law, Maynard Arndt; and a brother-in-law and wife, Leroy and Glenda Arndt. Memorial contributions may be made through the funeral home to the Alva Education Foundation (make checks to CFO), Northwestern Foundation, or the First United Methodist Church.

Edward E. Sutter III

April 20, 1950 - June 10, 2023