Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

Susan Unthank Memorial: Live Stream

Hello friends – we finally have the details regarding Susan Unthank (AbsolutelyGospel.com’s founder) and her memorial service tomorrow night. The service will be streamed live and available to those outside of the area where the service is being held. If you could forward on this information to your readers, we would greatly appreciate it!

Susan Unthank Memorial Service
Monday, January 24, 2011
River of Life Church, Smyrna, TN
7:00 p.m. CST

Special music will be provided by some of Susan’s most beloved friends the Booth Brothers, Jason Crabb, The Bowling Family, The Freemans, Johnny Minick & Friends, the Mystery Men Quartet, and her son Aaron Unthank.

In addition, Rev. Roland Sharp will be providing the message, and her friends Kathy Crabb Hannah, Donna Beauvais, Bev McCann and sister-in-law Brenda Downing will be speaking at the service as well.

The link to view the live memorial service will be here: http://web.mac.com/johnnyminick/JMM2011/Watch_Live.html

Our January 2011 SGN Scoops is here!

The January 2011 issue of SGN Scoops is now available for download. Click on the cover to read your issue in user-friendly .PDF format.

In our “Diamond Issue,” we kick off our Diamond Awards voting season by talking with Lily Isaacs, of one of gospel music’s most celebrated families, The Isaacs. We also take a look back at some of our favorite stories from 2010, including interviews with The Perrys, Brian Free, and Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys.

We also feature a tribute to our friend Susan Unthank of Absolutely Gospel, including a reprint of words she shared in our magazine last February.

Enjoy the shining gems featured between these pages as they share their words and hearts with you!

Click here or on the cover preview to download.

Click here to subscribe – be notified when a new issue is published or news is announced.

Susan Unthank Memorial Service Update

It has been confirmed that the memorial service for AbsolutelyGospel.com’s founder Susan Unthank will be this coming Monday, January 10, 2011 at River of Life Church (596 Sam Ridley Pkwy), Smyrna, TN at 7:00 p.m. CST.

The Unthank family will be receiving friends, family, and other guests at 6:00 p.m., also at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to help with medical and burial costs via SoGospelNews.com (AbsolutelyGospel.com). Donations may be mailed to the following:

Unthank Family
SoGospelNews.com
220 Indian Park Dr #3702
Murfreesboro, TN 37128

Or, you can visit the following link to make a donation online:

http://absolutelygospel.com/index/community/support/

Susan Unthank, Founder of AbsolutelyGospel.com, Passes Away

SGN Scoops offers our prayers up for the entire Unthank family. Susan’s legacy has always been an inspiration to us and her friendship was treasured.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – (January 5, 2011) – Susan Unthank, founder and Editor-In-Chief of AbsolutelyGospel.com (formerly SoGospelNews.com) and husband of Deon Unthank (Sunday Edition), passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ this morning, January 5, 2011 at approximately 6:30 a.m. CST.

Deon Unthank said, “Our hearts are breaking now more than any other time in our lives. Susan was my wife, confidant, mother of our children, and my best-friend for the last 33 years. She was the back-bone of our family and the site. Susan put more time and energy over the course of the last 15 years in SGN than most people put in in their life. She lived and breathed Southern Gospel for the past 15 years. While our family grieves the loss of this very important member of our family, surely the industry must mourn the loss of one of its most prized possessions.”

Susan was born on November 23, 1955 in Belleville, IL. She and her husband, Deon, founded SoGospelNews.com (now known as AbsolutelyGospel.com) in the mid-90s, and the site quickly became the most read e-zine on the web devoted to Southern Gospel music, its artists, and its fans. The family currently resides in Murfreesboro, TN where they have ran the site for the last 10 years.

Susan is survived by her husband of 33 years Charles Deon Unthank whom she started and raised a blended family with. Their family included three sons, Aaron (Tia) Unthank of Jacksonville, FL, Scott Bandy and Christopher Unthank of Murfreesboro, TN and two daughters, Leslie Hill of Branson, MO and Amy Marie Unthank of Murfreesboro, TN. Susan had five grandchildren, Eli and Anna Cate Unthank and Donovan, Ashlee, and Emma Hill.

There will be no funeral or visitation for Susan. Rather, the family will host a Memorial Service in her honor. Details of the Memorial Service will be announced later.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to help with medical and burial costs via SoGospelNews.com (AbsolutelyGospel.com). Donations may be mailed to the following:

Unthank Family
SoGospelNews.com
220 Indian Park Dr #3702
Murfreesboro, TN 37128

Or, you can visit the following link to make a donation online:

http://absolutelygospel.com/index/community/support/

Susan Unthank Hospitalized with Collapsed Lung

Prayers are appreciated for Susan Unthank of AbsolutelyGospel.com (formerly SoGospelNews.com) and wife of Deon Unthank (Sunday Edition). Susan was rushed to the hospital late Saturday evening (November 6, 2010) due to complaints of severe stomach pains. It was revealed after several X-rays that she was suffering from a semi-collapsed lung in addition to the stomach pains. The doctors are inserting a tube to drain any fluid and air that may be trapped in the pneumothorax today.

Please remember Susan and the entire Unthank family in your prayers. Susan has suffered many health issues over the last few years due to her increasing struggles with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (a very common form of Muscular Dystrophy).

For more information – stay tuned to AbsolutelyGospel.com or you can get frequent updates on Twitter by following her children’s accounts (@amymarie1001, @chrisunthank, and @scottbandy).