Susan Merrill

Susan Margaret Tjossem Kirkpatrick Merrill, age 65, of Madison, Mississippi, passed away on Sunday March 2, 2014. Visitation will be on Friday March 7, 2014 at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home in Ridgeland from 5:00 to 7:00 PM and from 2:00 – 3:00 PM on Saturday March 8th with the service following at 3:00 PM. Burial will be at Parkway Memorial Cemetery.

She was born in Sioux City, Iowa on November 10, 1948. As an Army Brat she traveled all over the world, making her home in Germany on two occasions. She also lived in Taiwan, as well as many locations in the United States.

Susan was the daughter of the late Oliver Paul and Ruth Trusty Tjossem.

Susan graduated from Baker High School in Columbus, Georgia, attended Grady Memorial Hospital School of Nursing and Georgia State College in Atlanta, Georgia where she was awarded the Miss White Cap Award as an outstanding student in her nursing class and attended the University of Maryland in Heidelberg, Germany. While living in Germany, Susan lived among the German people studying the language and enjoying the companionship of the local population. She traveled all through Europe meeting people from many countries and studying the different cultures and languages of the local populations.

She was a resident of Madison, Mississippi and had made her home in Mississippi since 1973. She was a former member of First Christian Church in Jackson, Mississippi where she served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, assistant youth choir director, and assistant youth fellowship leader. She was a current member of First Presbyterian Church in Madison, Mississippi where she formerly served as the Director of Christian Growth for the Women in the Church. Susan served on the Women’s Council at First Presbyterian for three years.

Susan married William Monroe Kirkpatrick in 1970 and he preceded her in death in 1999. She married Robert K. Merrill on October 25, 2005 and the couple made their home in Madison, Mississippi. She had two children. Her daughter, Allison Leigh Kirkpatrick preceded her in death in 2000.

She was employed by the Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry Associates as their office manager in Jackson, Mississippi for forty years. She was active in school activities while raising her children, was a brownie leader, girl scout leader, cub scout den mother, and loved spending time with her family.

She enjoyed cooking, sewing, silk flower arranging, art, music, photography, and especially traveling to the mountains of North Carolina. One of her greatest loves was spending time with her husband, Bob, listening to him play his guitar.

She is survived by her husband Robert K. Merrill, son William Paul Kirkpatrick, his wife Sylvia of Leesburg, Virginia and their two sons William Gavin and Gabriel Reese, her sister Marcy Wilkinson of Grovetown, Georgia and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or your favorite charity.