Sue Ellen Schwenn

Sue Ellen Schwenn

July 08, 1961 - January 26, 2023

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Obituary

OREGON - On Jan. 26, 2023, Sue Schwenn migrated from this lifetime, after courageously living on her own terms for the last three years with pancreatic cancer. (F cancer!) Born July 8, 1961 , the youngest of four children born to Hugh and Joyce (Schultz) Russell, Sue flew quickly from childhood sibling follower - she embraced the term "baby" sister much later in life - to full-feathered adult. Sue graduated from Madison West High School in 1979 and attended UW-Madison.


On April 9, 1983, Sue left the nest to marry Ben Schwenn and their almost 40 years of marriage were rich with love and mutual respect. They raised their two boys, supporting their participation in pedal pull, sports and school, all the while working around their mountain of toys, models and games. Throughout the years, especially the last three, Ben has been an incredible rock, helper, and unyielding caregiver for Sue as they both faced the struggles of a devastating disease.


Sue built her skills on a career path from Brooklyn State Bank to Famous Footwear/Brown Shoe to Covance/Labcorp. Her work ethic was remarkable, and her professional impact was both enormous and low key. Her dedication to and compassion for her co-workers and team members stood out. She always took requests for their favorite baked treats and made them for their birthdays. Amid her cancer treatments, Sue learned her department was being eliminated. Her first thought was for her team; how would they handle the news, the disruption, and find new career paths? She worried and worked, despite her health demands, to make their next moves successful for them. Sue's efforts were a victory for her team.


In the family, Sue was revered as the thoughtful gift-giver who always struck the right note; the saint with the enduring fortitude to drive her parents through Ireland; the unruffled hen who managed a house full of males; the cook and baker who could supply snicker doodles, cheesy potatoes, pecan bars, and other favorites for family events; the nature photographer extraordinaire with the patience to get the right shots and package them in the form of books and sought-after calendars. Sue's photography is always proudly displayed in every family member's home. Sue made it look effortless to work full-time, raise a family, manage her parents' finances, and say exactly what needed to be said to bring smiles and laughs to those around her. Holidays and reunions won't be the same without her.


Her love of The Mobile - their second, summer home near Montello - was proven by the weekend and vacation stays where she and Ben would hike, capture wildlife on film, and enjoy the squirrels and birds that flocked to their abundant feeders. Her love of waterfowl and conservation led her to become a member of Ducks Unlimited, where she was honored as a Life Sponsor.


Sue will be missed by all who knew her. The rest of the world has unknowingly lost their chance to love a quiet champion.


Sue is survived by her husband, Ben; sons, Derrick Schwenn and Brandon (Lindsey) Schwenn; mother, Joyce Russell; sisters, Elizabeth (James) Thomas and Sharon (Allan) Bricker; brother, Jay (Dana) Russell; sisters-in-law, Lisa Schwenn, Nancy (James) Outhouse, Kathy (Greg) Ninneman, Merry (Allen) Bachim and Tammy Schwenn; and brother-in-law, Timothy (Pat Erickson) Schwenn. She is also survived by a special cousin, Karl Duex, and his mother and Sue's godmother, Karol (Boots) Duex; as well as a flock of nieces, nephews, other family members, and friends. Sue was preceded in death by her father, Hugh Russell; father-in-law, Gerald Schwenn; mother-in-law, Delores (Sally) Schwenn; brother-in-law, Thomas Schwenn; and brother-in-law, Daniel Schwenn.


A celebration of Sue's life will be held at GUNDERSON OREGON FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 1150 Park St., Oregon, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.


Special thanks to the caring cancer team at UW Hospital who helped Sue and her family live with this relentless cancer. Additional thanks to the staff of Agrace, who provided hospice care.


Donations in Sue's memory may be made to Agrace HospiceCare and/or the UW Carbone Cancer Center. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.


Gunderson Oregon

Funeral & Cremation Care

1150 Park St.

(608) 835-3515


Events

07
Visitation
Tue Feb 7, 2023 @ 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM CDT
Gunderson Oregon Funeral & Cremation Care • 1150 Park St., Oregon, WI 53575
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Missy McCorison
Other •
I had the pleasure of working with Sue at Famous Footwear. She was always so kind and helpful, and very easy to talk to. Her smile in this photo is exactly how I remember her from our working days together. My condolences to her family, and may she rest in peace. Missy McCorison
KW
Kathy Walker
Other •
We're so sorry to hear about the passing of Sue. May the special memories you made together help you through this difficult time.
TF
Tena Franzen
Other •
My husband, Jerry, and I would like to extend our condolences to the Russell and Schwenn families. As a much younger person I recall that Sue was a very pleasant and sweet girl. We met at my Uncle Herb's and Aunt Leone's cottage on Lake Butte des Mortes in Wis. My brother, Warren Schultz, was kind enough to inform us of Sue's death. We are sorry that we will not be able to travel to Oregon to attend the services. Please convey our sympathy to her mother. Joyce, who is an amazing woman, too. The fruit does not fall far from the tree. May God console you at this sad time and give your family peace and blessings. Tena Franzen nee Schultz
MG
Michelle Glasgow
Other •
I'm so sorry to hear of Sue's passing. I worked with her both at Famous Footwear and Labcorp. I was often the beneficiary of those amazing baked goodies as well as the always full candy dish on her desk. She talked so much of the boys and Ben--so proud of her family. I loved hearing the stories! State Fairs, sports, moving on to new jobs, so much joy she had to share. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Michelle Glasgow
AS
AJ Sue
Other •
In 10 years of working with Sue at Famous Footwear, Sue was always caring, committed, kind, pragmatic, hard working, and practical. I think I only saw her lose her cool one time…in the middle of the shared services implementation... A project that clearly warranted a lot more losing of one's cool... That one time for Sue was in the middle of when HQ (BWS) had 8-10 of our FF team spending weeks and weeks away from our families, working in St Louis to implement the complex systems that would eventually take away our jobs and the jobs of our friends. The systems that would eventually allow HQ to move our work from our home in Madison to the mothership in St Louis. We were anxious, tired, frustrated… The writing was on the wall…and yet we soldiered on because that was our job...i think especially Sue. We all lost our cool at some points on that grueling journey... Sue finally lost her cool (such as that was😂)...And she emphatically exclaimed "This isn't fair!"... Before refocusing her energy on figuring out how to get done what was being asked of her. That was it. Cool focused committed... and Rolling up her sleeves to get solving. ... It was a moment when a little swearing and anger would have worked well... But Sue wasn't like that. She just took a breath and rolled up her sleeves. She did that everyday for every one of us. I remember thinking at that moment... That 1) whoa! This is really bad if Sue's talking like that!😂 and 2) how lucky we are to have people like Sue in the world because we knew she was actually worrying about everyone else and not herself. Similarly, in my time with Sue I know she cared about every payroll check her team produced because she knew that 100k+ families depended on those checks... She would get it done Even if she had to sacrifice to complete her work because she needed to take care of her people. Sue always saw the human side of things... With patience, understanding, and love... And I loved that about her. I've met thousands of people in my life and career... The vast majority have been lovely good humans. But few have been so genuine in their selfless caring as Sue Schwenn. Sue helped me grow and mature in this area personally through her example and loving challenging... She helped me be a better human (still working on this) and I am so very grateful to her for that... I'm glad we were in each other's lives. I'll miss her smiles and caring. The world needs more Sue Schwenns♥️

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