She was OUR Sunshine!

 

Susan Call Schulthies
December 30, 1956 - October 16, 2013

I received a phone call a couple of hours ago from my oldest daughter Megan. She was sobbing like I haven't heard her sob in many, many years. She had received a call from Stephanie Schulthies, telling her that our dear family friend died last night (or early this morning). We don't have the details yet, but the facts of her death are not the purpose of this blog. The purpose is that she LIVED and she was an integral part of the Sloan family for more than 33 years.

And how is it that someone could be such a big part of our lives and that I have so few pictures of her to share? Truth is, she was always BEHIND the camera and used it to share her memories of special moments, so I'll have to use some of those and pictures of others to tell the story of our dear friend Susan Call Schulthies.

The story begins in January of 1980 when I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka "The Mormons") in Morton, Illinois.

My baptism with Bart Chournos

A few weeks after my baptism, we had our six month old baby girl (Meg) blessed in the church. After church, a strange young woman came up to me and asked if she could hold my baby, because she was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen in her life. (Not that I didn't think Meg was cute, 'cause she was, but I thought this lady was a bit psycho!) I let her hold Meg and our journey began.

Turned out that Susan was in town from Utah for the baptism of her lifelong pen pal, a young man that she had met when she was fifteen years old on a bus when she and her family were visiting Nauvoo, Illinois. Although Susan never served a formal church mission, she was a true missionary her whole life.

 

Susan with my girls and lifelong
pen pal, Kurt Foltz

In March of 1980, after Randy was baptized into the church, we decided to make the move to Utah and Susan opened her home, her life and her heart to the Sloans. She offered us a place to stay during the job search, she eagerly "tended" Megan for us when the need arose and she encouraged us as we took steps to open the first popcorn shop, enlisting her father to help with the electrical work and assisting Randy with the decor!

 

The Corn Crib
Bountiful, UT 1981

She loved buying things for my girls. Meg's first "red, white & blue..."

 

Meg's first birthday
from Aunt Susan

Matching dresses from her trip to Jamaica....

 

Meg, Brooks & Sami 1984

And my VERY favorite, the "roach clips" that she innocently bought them all, thinking they were feathers for their hair! (Love you, Susan!)

 

Meg modeling her feathers...

She frequently offered child care, like the day she came to tend Meg when I went to the hospital for Sami's birth...

Susan settling in with Meg for a long day waiting
April 12, 1981

But most often, she coordinated child care for us as other needs arose, like the three weeks I was hospitalized for the twins' birth or arranging to send Meg back to family in Illinois when Sami was hospitalized most of the summer, 1983.

 

Meg ready for her first solo flight
Arranged & put on the plane by "Aunt Susan"

And of course she was there with her camera when Sami was out of the hospital and it was time for the family reunion when Meg came home!

 

Randy & I with
Brooks, Meg & Sami

As I said earlier, Susan was a great missionary and a major part of my spiritual growth in my early years as a Mormon. I was amazed one day when she brought Megan home from one of their outings and she told me that she had taken Meg into Salt Lake for a walk around Temple Square and while they were there, they ran into President Spencer W. Kimball (the prophet of the church at the time) out for his daily walk. Not giving any thought to the fact that this was the first time SHE had met him, no... our Susan stops and says "President Kimball, I'd like you to meet a very special young friend of mine. This is Megan." And the prophet of our church bent over, shook her hand, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. I wish Megan had been old enough to be able to remember that special moment.

Susan eagerly helped us prepare for the day we could go to the temple and be sealed together as a forever family. Even though Susan wasn't able to attend our temple sealing, because she wasn't yet an endowed member of the church, she was there on Temple Square waiting for us to come out and ready for a picture to commemorate the special day!

Susan with Bart Chournos, Meg & Sami
May 22, 1981

Life was ever an adventure with Susan around. Whether she was zipping around town in her yellow VW bug or just walking into our apartment unannounced and helping herself to whatever she found to eat that I had made I had to admire her enthusiasm and zest for life.

One day, Randy and I got word that someone from our church in Illinois was moving to Salt Lake and they wanted us to meet him at the bus depot. Not knowing where it was, we asked Susan and she offered to go with us. Randy, Susan, 10-month-old Megan and I, sat at the bus depot, waiting for the delayed bus to arrive at 2:00 in the morning. Not too many "normal" looking people were around at that time and Susan was fascinated by an older, heavy-set man wearing overalls. In her boredom, the constantly moving Susan stood up, and began walking around the bus depot singing "The Farmer in the Dell!" Randy and I were humiliated! We wanted to crawl under the bench... but our wonderful Susan saw nothing wrong and just laughed at US!

Imagine our surprise when Susan brought Megan back from another of their outings one Memorial Day when she told us they had spent the day visiting cemeteries!  Her dedication and love for loved ones past was always an inspiration to me. I don't know if that love and dedication was inborn or a result of the fact that she was adopted and didn't find her birth parents until much later, but it was admirable to say the least.

Susan married Scott Schulthies and had two great kids and many pets, including rapidly reproducing gerbils! While all of my kids call her "Aunt Susan," she was a second mom for Meg and when Susan needed a babysitter for her kids, Meg went to be their "nanny" for a couple of summers. At times Stephen and Stephanie could drive Meg crazy, but then again, her siblings drove her crazy at home, so it gave her a change of scenery. 

Meg with Stephen & Stephanie

Susan loved her pets and when it became known that Meg had a hard time visiting her because of her asthma and extreme allergies to cats and dogs, Susan put a bedroom in her basement and declared it the "pet-free" zone where the door was always shut, so Meg would have a safe haven at her home, away from the pet dander.

Susan's beloved Sandy

She also had a drive to know all she could about any tragedy. We used to tease her about her police scanner that she listened to religiously and if you happened to be at her house when something big came across, you better grab your coat, put on your shoes and be ready to run, because you WERE going to go along to check it out! We always thought she missed her true calling in life and that she should have been a detective or a newspaper reporter instead of an interior designing travel agent!

She was instrumental in other major events for our family as well. She hosted Sami's wedding breakfast after her wedding in the Bountiful temple, Meg's reception after her sealing in the Bountiful temple and a welcome home dinner for Brandon after his mission while we were waiting for Barton to get home the next day. She organized all the food and decorations for the events and even found us a seamstress to make sure Megan and Brooks had beautiful dresses for their bridesmaids!

Meg's Bridesmaids
Sami, Brooks, Andrea Rice & Danielle Bomba

She offered my friend Barb & me a place to stay during the Salt Lake Olympics when we had to work in the area to run merchandise from store to store for Walmart and fix photo machines. She was there to support me when Randy and I were going through our divorce and remained a friend to each of us. She used her knowledge and connections within the travel industry to help our family arrange travel for weddings, funerals and even coordinated flights for my two oldest granddaughters to come stay with me for awhile last summer.

 

Cari & Andi heading for Seattle
May, 2012

Since I moved to Seattle nearly three years ago, I had the opportunity to go on two vacations with Susan. The first an Alaskan cruise with the added bonus that my "sister" Amy came on with a friend from work as well. And the second, a long weekend drive to Vancouver, British Columbia. Both were fun trips and full of typical Susan zeal and style! 

Susan & Amy dancing at dinner
Last night of our cruise!

I know we broke Susan's heart when we left Utah in September of '84. She knew Randy was doing what he felt was right, moving us back to Illinois and she didn't fight us, but as we drove away with our car loaded and a U-Haul, her silent tears were obvious.  

The Kids
October 1984

 I've had a few friends in my life that I have considered part of MY family, but Susan is one who opened her heart not only to my family, but my children's families and became family to many of our friends as well. She'll be missed by all who knew and loved her.

 



Susan & Meg at Promontory, UT
Summer, 1980



We love you Susan. Thank you for being a part of our lives.