5.  Sadie Velma Cullen

1922–2014

Birth 25 AUG 1922 • Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, Sao

Paulo, Brazil

Death 12 AUG 2014 • Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, Sao

Paulo, Brazil

Married 1st: 18 Jun 1944 • Santa Bárbara d'Oeste,

São Paulo, Brazil

Renato Magdalena

1920–1997

Birth 19 OCT 1920 • Santa Efigênia, São Paulo,

São Paulo, Brazil

Death 5 DEC 1997 • Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Married 2nd:  5 Apr 1983 • Orem, Utah, Utah, USA

John Homer Steagall

1919–2011

Birth 16 AUG 1919 • Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, São Paulo, Brazil

Death 18 JAN 2011 • Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, São Paulo, Brazil

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John Homer Steagall, born August 16, 1919. He married 1st to Jessie Thomas. He worked for the Singer Company where his cousin Joao Batista Holland worked. He lived for a long iin the USA. All his children moved to USA, the youngest one was born there. After his retirement he came back to Brazil and  lived in Americana. He and his first wife Jessie Thomas divorced and in 1983 he married Sadie Cullen in Utah, USA.  His three children by his first wife all married and are living in USA.  

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First Wife Jessie Allena Thomas:

Find A Grave

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She married John Homer Steagall in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 28 January 1950. They raised three children while living in eight different countries, and traveled the world. After thirty years of marriage, they divorced in the United States. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and had many callings in her life of service. She was a teacher, coach, choreographer for Road Shows, Camp Counselor, Relief Society President twice, MIA President, and volunteered extensively for the Extraction Program. She always sought opportunities for additional service, from transcribing Braille books for the blind, to crocheting bandages for lepers. The calling she enjoyed the most and challenged her greatly was directing the Campinas choir for the original dedication of the Sao Paulo, Brazil Temple, the first temple in Latin America. Jessie served nine full-time missions: one in Portugal, five in the Zollikofen, Switzerland Temple, one in the Frankfort, Germany Temple, one at the Provo M.T.C., and one in the Porto Alegre, Brazil Temple. As part of her temple missions, she performed the ordinances in six languages. This legacy of service, especially her nine missions, have been a great example to her descendants and has had a great impact on their lives. Jessie had challenges in her life. She lost her mother at the age of two. She lived with her grandmother till she was nine years old, then went to boarding school. She loved to sing, so she sang in the choir, and with the band. She played volleyball and basketball for her school teams. After completing school, she returned to Rio de Janeiro to live with her father. She loved to dance and taught Square dancing in Rio. As part of her performances, she helped introduce rock'n'roll music to Brazil. Once back in Rio, she studied art, acting, became a bi-lingual secretary and worked for the American Embassy. Jessie spoke three languages fluently: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. She earned many prizes for her fencing and dancing skills. At the age of about 82, she joined "Dancing Grannies" tap dancing group and performed throughout the Wasatch Front until she was about ninety years old. She loved to be active.
Jessie assured us that she will be having fun "up there".

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