Susie E. Smith…January 17, 1925 – November 15, 2016y

Funeral services for longtime Holly, Colorado resident Susie Smith will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel in Holly, Colorado with Pastor Eugene Birt and grandson Clint Tyler officiating. Interment will follow in the Holly Cemetery.  Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 18, 2016, also at the funeral home.

Susie Ellen (Palmer) Smith was born January 17, 1925 near Lakin, Kansas and she passed on November 15, 2016 in Holly, Colorado at the age of 91.

Susie was the first of six children born to Dave and Fern Palmer.  Growing up in the 1930’s was not easy as she often told her family, “I grew up in the 30’s, I’m not picky.”  The Palmer family lived in several locations in Western Kansas where Susie’s dad worked as a farm laborer.  When Susie was in the eighth grade, the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado to find work.  Susie told her family that her parents gave her a nickel each day to buy a hamburger for lunch.  She didn’t know where they got the nickel.

When Susie was a sophomore in high school, the family moved North of Tribune, Kansas.  Susie lived in town and worked for her room and board.  She also worked in the school cafeteria for a little extra spending money.  During her high school years, she started dating Bill Smith. In May of 1943, Susie graduated from Greeley County High School.  That Fall she traveled alone, by bus to Wichita, Kansas to attend secretarial school.  She again worked for her room and board.  At the end of the semester she quit school and began working for Boeing Airplane Manufacturers.  She and Bill continued their relationship during this time and then in September of 1944, Bill and Susie were united in marriage at the Nazarene parsonage in Wichita, Kansas.  They stayed in Wichita for a short time before moving to Tribune, Kansas.  Bill and Susie’s first child, William David Smith was born in November of 1946.  The small family moved north of Holly, Colorado in 1947.  They worked on their home, farmed, and drilled water wells.  For a short time, Bill ran a filling station and Susie ran a café on the east side of Holly.  In September of 1949, Elaine Sue was born followed by Vickie Lynn in 1952. Then in November of 1961 Stacy Rae was born.  What a surprise and a blessing she was.  She kept everyone on their toes.

Susie was very busy being a housewife, helping Bill with whatever he needed, sewing for the girls, helping with funeral dinners, working with square dancing for the kids, and any other projects that came up.

Susie was very proud of her children and their accomplishments.  David graduated from high school, got married, and officially went into business with his dad, even though they had worked together from the time that David was potty-trained.  Elaine and Vickie both graduated and when their time came, they too were married and started families of their own.  David has one son and two daughters, Michelle Ann, William “Mark, and Melissa Jill.  Elaine has two sons, Trevor Negal Tyler and Clint Lee Tyler.  Vickie has one daughter, Jennifer Lynn and one son, Cody Ben.

Bill and Susie built a new house two miles north of Holly when Stacy was in high school.  Before they knew what was happening, Stacy had graduated and started college.  Stacy married David Kelly and together they have one son, Eli David.

Bill and Susie now had time for some travel.  They went to Mexico to fish, Alaska, and several other places, often with CJ and Cleda Clark, Harold and Ila Palmer, and Louis and Wilma Smith.  In 1992 they traveled with the fifth wheel camper to Maryland to see their grandson, Trevor Tyler graduate from the Naval Academy.  A couple of years later, they traveled to Pennsylvania to see their grandson, Mark Smith graduate from Carnegy-Mellon in Pittsburg.

In January of 1999 Susie lost Bill, the love of her life, to a sudden heart attack.  Susie remained in the home that she and Bill had built.  She loved mowing and taking care of her yard and house and it broke her heart when she could no longer go out and mow.

In May of 2011, Susie became ill and she thought the end would arrive soon as hospice was called in.  But to everyone’s surprise and delight, Susie bounced back and continued to live at home and take care of both it and herself.  She was placed on palliative care and hospice continued to visit.  The wonderful staff continued to care for Susie and have many stories concerning Miss Susie.

Susie celebrated her 90^th birthday surrounded by many friends and family.  On her 91^st birthday, January 17, 2016 she fell and injured her hip. This time, her family thought this might be the end, but once again, Miss Susie surprised them by bouncing back.  Her daughters arranged for care so that she could continue to stay home.  After 4 months, she moved to town to live with her daughter, Elaine and her husband, Kent.  Susie kept her sense of humor and her willingness to work, insisting on doing the dishes following every meal.  After a brief illness, Susie Smith passed away on Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at the age of 91.

Susie is survived by her brother, Harold (Ila) Palmer of Colorado Springs, CO; children, David Smith of Sylacoga, AL, Elaine (Kent) Anderson of Holly, CO, Vickie (Greg) Cline of Holly, CO, and Stacy (David) Kelly of Colorado Springs, CO; 8 grandchildren; 18 great grandchildren; and 5 great great-grandchildren; many other relatives and a host of friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dave and Fern Palmer; husband, Bill Smith; sisters, Ruth (Tom) Harvey, Cleta (CJ) Clark, Ramona (Harvey) Dirks; and brother, Darrel Palmer.

Memorial contributions may be made to Holly Nazarene Church, Holly Fire and Ambulance, or Lamar Area Hospice in care of Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel, PO Box 950, Lamar, CO  81052. For more information please visit www.valleymemorialfc.com