Susan M. Duerksen
SALINA - Susan Melinda Duerksen, 60,
died on July 30, 2010, at the Kenwood View Nursing Home in Salina.
Susan was born in Newton, on Aug. 10, 1949, to Benjamin and Dorothy
Brown Duerksen. She and her three brothers Tim, Chris, and Matt were
raised in Buhler, where she had a happy childhood with her extended
family. Susan graduated from Buhler High School in 1967 and then
received her undergraduate and Master of Science degrees from Kansas
State College of Emporia. In 1976, she started her professional
career in rehabilitation counseling for the State of Kansas in Larned
and later Salina. During this time she was honored with a number of
leadership awards and was active in the Red Cross and the local
Democratic Party. She was a member of the Buhler Mennonite Church. To
the end, Susan was an avid reader and devotee of the Beatles, Barry
Manilow, and Reba McEntyre and loved going to concerts and sports
events. She constantly inspired her family and friends with her
lively positive outgoing spirit, sense of humor, and generally
obstreperous behavior despite her lifelong challenges with cerebral
palsy. She was often seen tooling around town in her wheelchair at or
a bit over the speed limit. Susan made us all recognize and value the
small pleasures in life - like a Braum's milk shake and hamburger or
a sancho from Carlos O'Kelly's.
Susan is survived by her mother
Dorothy, Salina; brothers, Chris, Colorado and Matt, Richmond,
Virginia; and five nieces and nephews, Laura, Benjamin, Matthew,
Mark, and Emily; and her beloved cat Reba.
She was preceded in death by her
father, Benjamin (1994), and brothers Tim (2000) and Mark (1943).
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m.
Saturday, August 7 at the Buhler Mennonite Church Saturday, with
Pastor Nick Rempel and Bob Dalke officiating. The family will receive
friends 1 hour prior to service at Buhler Mennonite Church. In lieu
of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Tim and
Susan Duerksen Memorial Fund at Buhler High School in care of Buhler
Mortuary, P.O. Box 589, Buhler, KS 67522.
