Susan Miles Yeckel

A proud Hoosier, “Susie” was born on May 22, 1939, in Elkhart, Indiana, the daughter and only child of the late Barbara Moore and Charles Foster Miles. Alongside a huge extended family, she grew up on the banks of the Saint Joseph River summers swimming or water skiing and winters around bonfires or ice skating with a tight-knit band of cousins and close friends.

She is a graduate of Dana Hall prep school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Mount Vernon Junior College in Washington, D.C. and the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana where she graduated alongside her new husband. Perhaps her proudest academic achievement came when in her middle years she returned to school, discovered a love of history, and earned her MLA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Montana held a special place in her heart, as it is where, while on vacation as a teenager, she met the young man who would become her husband, Carl Louis Yeckel. On June 23, 1961, they wed and for the next several years lived and worked on the Jumping Horse Stock Ranch in Ennis, Montana owned by her in-laws. The solitude and beauty of big sky country fed her spirit, and she gladly would have remained there had life not called them elsewhere.

After a few years spent in Colorado, Susie and Carl permanently settled in Dallas, Texas in 1974. Over the course of the next 50 years Susie was dedicated first and foremost to the raising of their three girls, Anne, Betsy and Susannah. As much as she loved being “Mom,” she delighted in being “Grammy” to her three grandchildren. All five learned from her how to appreciate sunlight on a cloud, how to use the correct fork, the joy in celebration and how to play Mexican Train.

Over the years her wide range of interests led to her involvement in organizations such as the Dallas Arboretum, Marianne Scruggs Garden Club, National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts, Dallas Alumnae Association of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Bible Study Fellowship, to name just a few. She was an active member of Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, where she served on both the Altar Guild and Funeral Guild for over 20 years. She loved handwork, travel, reading, and sharing it all with others. Creative, thoughtful, meticulous, loving, Susie had a quick sense of humor and a servant’s heart. In her quiet but steadfast faith she sought to serve God and others in humility with minimal fanfare and maximum care.

Susie is survived by her husband of sixty-four years, Carl; daughter Anne Yeckel Johnson and husband Patrick; daughter Elizabeth “Betsy” Yeckel; daughter Susannah Yeckel Holley and husband Jason; grandson Bryghte Yeckel Johnson; grandson Asher Miles Johnson; and granddaughter Madray Emmanuelle Johnson.

A memorial service will be held in the chapel of Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Dallas at 4 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026.