BOONE, Iowa—Susan Ellen Wilson, age 88, of Boone, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, surrounded by her family.
Sue was born on August 26, 1934, in Seattle, Washington, the daughter of Fred and Minnie (Werner) Axtell. When her mom died at a very young age, she was placed in an orphanage and then foster care. She began working as a nanny at a young age to pay for her room and board. Upon falling for a cad of a boy, she used all of her money to follow him to Omaha, Nebraska. Unable to afford the return trip to Seattle, she found a home with a sympathetic family in Omaha. They treated her like their own daughter and she loved them dearly.
Sue always had a knack for baking sweets and sent her “pa” to work with a chocolate cake that was sampled by a John R. Wilson, Jr. He simply had to meet the baker and found her even more delightful than the cake. They were married on October 2, 1952, and had five children.
A dutiful Air Force wife for 21 years, Sue moved her family to Texas, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, New York, and Nebraska. She spent years raising her kids alone due to John’s numerous deployments. Between these trying times and her meager upbringing, Sue figured out how to squeeze dimes from pennies and was one of the few who could squeeze blood from a turnip. No matter the circumstance, she could make any place feel like home. She used her talents to make everything around her more beautiful. She loved bright colors and flashy jewelry. She knitted, crocheted, grew flowers, and doted on her children.
After John’s retirement, they settled their family in Boone, Iowa. Sue worked odd jobs and started her own ceramics business. She volunteered with Boone County Freedom Flights, knitting prayer shawls, and anything involving children. Even though she only had an eighth-grade education, she possessed a veracious appetite for reading. She helped tutor students and taught Sunday school.
Sue had a knack for making everyone feel important – no matter their age. She genuinely listened – triumphing in other’s successes and consoling their despairs. She made everyone feel understood and valued.
The prides of Sue’s life were her marriage of 69 years and her family. She always said, “marriage isn’t a hobby – you’ve got to work at it to make it last.” Although they faced their share of challenges, including the death of their infant son, Jeff, Sue and John overcame them all. They created a legacy for their family to be proud of and aspire to.
She is preceded in death by her husband: John Wilson; parents: Fred and Minnie Axtell; son: Jeffrey Wilson; brother: Fred Axtell; and two sisters: Dorothy (Joseph) Larson and Betty (Pat) Singh.
She is survived by her three sons: John Wilson III; Jim (Kelly) Wilson; and Tom (Kelly) Wilson; daughter: Marge Wilson; ten grandchildren: John (Kimberlee) Wilson IV, Amanda (Mark) McClure, Suzee (Phil) Stone, Kimberly (Corey) Bickelhaupt, Kayla (Tim) Schulte, Kylene (Greg) Marshall, Dylan Wilson, Theodore Wilson, Krishelle Wilson, and Kaylee Wilson; nine great-grandchildren: Sophie Wilson; Kaylee and Grace McClure; Joe, Adrian, and Maximilian Stone; Omelia Bickelhaupt; baby Schulte; Faye and Owen Marshall; and two step-great-grandchildren: Dylin Winquist and Kelsee Davis.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that any memorial donations or contributions be made to the Choroideremia Research Foundation – an organization dedicated to finding a cure for a genetic eye condition affecting Sue and several members of her family.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Boone. Visitation will be held one hour prior to mass. Burial will be in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery.
Online condolences may be left at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com.
Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets is in charge of arrangements.
