Sue Ellen (White) Wiele left this Earthly life at the Davenport Lutheran Home on October 12, 2019. Services will be on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 11:00 am with Visitation one hour prior to the Service at Weerts Funeral Home, Davenport. Burial will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington, IA. Memorials may be made to Pilot Club of Muscatine, Pilot Club International, Children’s Therapy Center of the Quad Cities, or St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Davenport. PLEASE, per Sue’s request, NO FLOWERS!
Sue was born on May 31, 1927 in Millersburg, IL to Archie & Mable (Lange) White, the third daughter of the family of six. Sue attended “Country Schools” through Eighth Grade and worked on her Father’s farm as necessary.
She followed her life-long dream of becoming a teacher by securing a Nanny position while attending High School in Muscatine, IA. She also worked at the Muscatine Hospital, serving meals and doing laundry to accumulate enough money to attend the “Teacher’s College”, now known as The University of Northern Iowa. Upon completion of her Teacher’s Degree and earning a Life-Time Teaching Certificate, she returned to Muscatine. Sue taught Elementary Education in Muscatine, until she met and married the love of her life, Paul Samuel Wiele on June 8, 1952, in Muscatine, IA.
Following her marriage, Sue assumed the responsibilities of being a homemaker and mother to Paul’s daughter, Nancy, whose mother has passed away previously. While living in Muscatine, Sue and Paul had two sons, John and Jack. In 1956, Paul was offered a position at the Scott County Court House in Davenport, IA and they together moved the family there. In 1959, the family grew by one more, a daughter, Barbara. As soon as their children all attended school, Sue returned to work to continue her passion for teaching. She had a REAL passion for helping those who were often overlooked. She championed the education of the special-needs children – often citing “EVERY child deserves an education.” Sue completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Special Education at Marycrest College in 1974 while also managing a household and teaching full-time. She continued teaching through 1990 for the Davenport Community School System.
Sue had many passions – besides teaching. She was a baker EXTRAORDINAIR – making “Barbie Doll Cakes” (one even went on a plane to Arizona, with her niece) and always baking Halloween, Christmas, & Valentine cookies for and with her children. She often wrote each child’s name on the cookie, painstakingly, in her beautiful cursive handwriting.
Following her retirement, she continued to volunteer, mentor, and tutor children in the Davenport School District. She took many children under her wings and showed them just how GREAT they could be. She used her own example of “success through hard work” to make the point and she changed many lives for the better. Sue served as the coordinator of the Read Across America program for Iowa and was known to dress up as the “Cat in the Hat” while visiting schools to read to children.
She was also very active in the Pilot Club. Her passion for protecting the heads and minds of our youth was the draw for the Pilot Club and she often shared her “Brain Minder” puppet show with children. Sue worked with her Churches on the Christian Education Council and developed a program for Special Needs Confirmation.
Surviving Sue are her son and daughter-n-law John Wiele & Mary Terkoski, Nashua, NH; daughter and son-in-law Barb & Gary Berneking, Davenport, IA; daughter-in-law Mary Wiele, Iowa City, IA; grandchildren: Paul (Eva) Wiele, Nashua, NH; Juliana Wiele, Nashua, NH; Laura (Tim) Painter, Davenport, IA; SGT 1st Class Ian Berneking, Columbus, OH; great-grandchildren: Olivia Sue & Eden Mae Painter, Davenport, IA. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Paul, her son Jack, sisters Catherine Honts and Phyllis Comfort, brothers Buddy (Archie Jr.) White, Richard White, and Jack White.
