Susan Fredrickson

Susan Fredrickson, age 63, passed away Saturday, September 5, 2026. She arrived on August 14, 1963, in the midst of a union strike at Memorial Hospital in Redding, California. Her parents, Elmer and Lois (Haynie) Arneson, had to cross picket lines while armed guards stood at the hospital entrance during record high temperatures. That day would set the stage for Susan’s life: a love of sunshine and a good fight.

The family returned to Elmer’s childhood home in Creston, Washington, when Susie was five years old. One day, handyman “Dutch” Gardner was replacing a window for them. Tiring of Susie’s persistent questions, he told Lois she should introduce her to his granddaughter, Tammy. The two were inseparable from that day on. When they weren’t comparing their collections of Breyer horses, they were riding their Shetland ponies on the gravel roads in and around Creston. Circumstances would separate them in their early teens, but they always found time to reconnect.

Following her graduation with Colville High School’s Class of 1983, Susan began working at Mt. Carmel Hospital. While she worked a variety of jobs in her lifetime, some of her favorites were in Moscow, Idaho, where she worked in the admissions office at University of Idaho, found adventure across the United States as Trail Ride Coordinator for the Appaloosa Horse Club, and built a career in human resources at Gritman Medical Center. It was while living in Moscow that Susan met and married Michael Fredrickson. They gained a little sidekick with the arrival of their daughter Josie in 2003. Over time, they added two “bonus” daughters, Morgan and Jana, each of whom lived with them and boarded horses with the family while attending college.

In 2016, Susan felt like she had found her place in the sun when the family moved to Cave Creek, Arizona. She was welcomed into a large circle of friends, many who shared her love of horses.

Susan faced her most difficult battle when she was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer in February 2025. She fought longer and harder than her doctors thought possible. She passed peacefully in the early morning sunshine of September 5, 2026, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Her body finally failed, but her spirit never did.

Susan was preceded in death by her father, Elmer Arneson, in 1975, and her husband, Michael Fredrickson, in 2025. She is survived by her beloved daughter, Josie, her mother, Lois Mosby, her siblings: Dave Arneson (and Kathy), John Arneson (and Michelle), Kerry Arneson, Eric Arneson, and Cindy (and Frank) Metlow; numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom she was very proud; “bonus” daughters Morgan (and Jason) Porter Thompson and Jana (and Kyle) Perry Barrington; her life-long friend, Tammy (and Mark) Pankey, her amazing circle of Cave Creekers, and several very dear friends in Washington, Idaho and Montana.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 26, starting at 2:00 p.m. at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport, Washington, followed by a celebration of life at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds (Auditorium) in Davenport. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made in Susan’s honor to your local 4-H Chapter, animal rescue, or hospice.