Susane Zimmermann

ZIMMERMANN, Susane Ida – Peacefully at the Algoma Residential Community Hospice with her family by her side on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at the age of 61. Beloved wife of the 42 years to Klaus. Loving mother of Greg (Lori), Sean (Melanie) and Kim. Proud grandma of Clayton, Noah, Justin, Alyssa, Vann and Seth. Dear sister of Robert, Ricky and Donald. Susane will be sadly missed by her father-in-law Hugo Zimmermann (late Inge), brother-in-law Joachim Zimmermann and by many dear friends. Friends may call at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Monday, April 16, 2012 from 12 pm until time of memorial service in the chapel at 2 pm. Mrs. Helen Smith officiating. Interment Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial contributions to the Algoma Residential Community Hospice (ARCH) or the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by the family.

Susane was born February 8, 1951 in Sudbury. She was the oldest of four children. Susane had three brothers Robert, Ricky and Donald. Life had not been easy in her early years. Eventually the family moved to Sault Ste. Marie. Susane had worked in several different jobs in her life. It was while she was working at the Adanac that she met Klaus. They began to date and were married on January 31, 1970.

Susane was first and foremost a wife and mother, her home was her castle and that was important to her. She had also done paperwork for a furniture store. Later she took some upgrading and training and did private homecare and then worked at the Windsor Park Retirement Home and lastly at Tan Jay clothing.

Susane and Klaus were blessed with three sons Greg, Sean and Kim. Susane was a loving mother and was always there for her sons. She hadn’t gotten her driver’s license until she was in her 30’s but Klaus had called her Mom’s Taxi and later Grandma’s Taxi.

Susane had many friends and enjoyed doing things with the girls. Every Tuesday night she and two friends Christine and Joan along with Klaus would go to the show. She had at one time taken a trip with some friends to Florida.

Susane was an Elvis fan and had a fair amount of Elvis memorabilia in her home. With that in mind the music we listen to today is all Elvis. Susane loved to shop, Klaus would find something under the bed and he would remark is that new, Oh no, Susane would say I’ve had that for a long time. One of the purchases she was most proud of was her red car.

Her sons made her proud and her grandchildren gave her a reason for being Clayton, Noah, Justin, Alyssa, Vann and Seth could put a smile on their grandmother’s face by just walking in the room. She loved the time she got to spend with them.

One of Susane’s favourite things to do was to go camping, they would head to Archibald’s Bay and enjoy time spent in nature. It was even better if they could bring one or more of the grandchildren with them. Susane liked the water and would paddle but she wasn’t much of a swimmer – just don’t push her in and everything was alright.

Susane was a good cook. She liked to experiment with some Italian dishes, and enjoyed cooking for the large family gatherings like Christmas, and if there was something she knew you liked and you were coming she would try and make it. For instance when Klaus’s brother Kim would visit she would always make meatloaf because she knew he liked it so much.

Susane was a hard worker and was always willing to lend a hand and was quite loving. She was proud of her home and did her best to make sure that it was just so. She always said she would have liked to go on a cruise but most of their travelling was camping or going to visit family in Sudbury or Winnipeg.

Family was indeed the center of her universe, she cared for Klaus and their sons and was very good to her mother and father in law. Later as daughter in laws and grand children arrived her universe expanded to include them.

Less than six months ago Susane was diagnosed with cancer and things seemed to go rapidly downhill and on Tuesday with her family at her side Susane slipped away peacefully.

In the scripture I read earlier it said to everything there is a season. Susane had many seasons in her life, seasons as sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend. There were seasons of joy and celebration, and certainly seasons of illness, loss and grief. Sadly for us Susane’s seasons were far too short, but we are thankful for the seasons we were able to share with her

Some of you have heard the story of the dash. It’s a beautiful poem written by a woman named Linda Ellis. Linda wrote this poem one day after hearing that the wife of a colleague at work was dying of cancer. She worked in a corporate environment, and got to thinking how the lives of many of those she worked with had become misaligned. They were worrying about the wrong things in life. She thought about her own life, and the fact that we only have one life to live, and how we live it is up to us. Her hope is that when others read her poem, they too will think about how they live their lives, and perhaps it will inspire them to stop worrying, and to start loving and living their lives. Here is her poem and I think it is an appropriate one for us to hear today because I think it reflects how Susane lived.

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak

at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth

and spoke of the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all

was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

that she spent alive on earth...

and now only those who loved her

know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;

the cars....the house...the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

and how we spend our dash.