Obit: Quast, Susan LouAnn (1938 - 2017)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Quast, Stenulson, Calkins, Mayers, Engen

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 4/12/2017

Quast, Susan LouAnn (21 May 1938 – 22 March 2017)

Susan LouAnn (Calkins) Quast, 78, Corpus Christi, TX, passed away, March 22, 2017.

Susan was born in Squaw Creek (Jackson County) WI, May 21,1938 to Silas W. and Linda G. M. (Stenulson) Calkins. She weighed four pounds at birth and was kept warm on the stove. There was no electricity or running water in the home when Susan was young. A cousin recalls Susan used to “run-away” to her Aunt Wanda (Stenulson) and Uncle Victor Bue’s home. Later, she traveled extensively, making new friends, and “adopting” new family along the way. Eventually, she settled in Corpus Christi, TX, and adapted to modern technology.

Throughout the years, Susan enjoyed sewing (even making all of her grandson’s baby clothes), painting (although her sister recalls she couldn’t paint a straight line), Solitaire (her granddaughter recalls she split the deck evenly every time), and cooking (her sister-in-law recalls she made an overabundance’ of food, laying a feast fit for a king).

Susan was gifted with a “green” thumb. She could grow any plant, except a spider plant (ironically, she did not like spiders). Susan’s greatest love was her family. An “adopted” daughter recalls she never turned away any of her “children.” Susan’s sister recalls picking pine cones with her. They were high in the tree when Susan hit a bee hive. Their dad yelled, “Drop,” and Susan dropped right out of the tree and into his waiting arms.

Susan was a bit mischievous. While quitting smoking, she used candy cigarettes (even lighting them), making the room smell like roasted marshmallows. Her grandson came to visit her when he was eight. She took him to Hooters and told the staff it was his birthday (it wasn’t). The staff started singing “Happy Birthday” much to his embarrassment, so he hid in the restroom. Everyone in the restaurant started chanting his name, until Susan asked a long-legged, brunette waitress to coax him out. When they emerged, everyone burst into cheers. (He laughingly claims to have had social anxiety for the next five years). One of Susan’s daughters was going to give her chinchillas, much to the dismay of her 12-year-old son. Susan told him in exchange, Grandma would give him crabs. He was horrified. Straight faced (and true to her word) his Grandma presented him with two hermit crabs.

Susan will live on in our hearts and memories. She will mostly be missed by her siblings, Charles (Yvonne) Calkins, Jacksonville, FL; Gene (LuAnn) Calkins, Beloit; Marion (Gerald) Mayers, Grants Pass, OR; Kay Calkins, and John Calkins, both of Humbird; a sister-in-law Dawn (Bobbie) Calkins, Beloit; a brother-in-law, Michael Engen, Corpus Christi, TX; her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

She was preceded in death by six brothers, Donald Calkins, Sonny Calkins, Jerry Calkins, Wayne Calkins, Tomas Calkins, Bobbie Calkins; a sister, Carol Engen; and a sister-in-law, Carole Calkins.