Frances Sue Simmons Berger

October 3, 1931 – December 7, 2021

Sue, 90 years, went peacefully home to Jesus on Tuesday December 7, 2021 with her loving husband Al by her side.

Sue was born in Springfield, Missouri on October 3, 1931 to parents William Simmons and Dorothy (Rhea) Simmons.  At four years of age, Sue lost her mother. During the next several years she was raised by one or two of her kinfolk including her Aunt Marie Simmons. For Sue, Aunt Marie was special. The two of them spent many wonderful hours together. One highlight was attending church regularly in Springfield and taking part in Sunday school activities. Throughout her life other member churches included Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA, Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Sedro-Woolley, WA, and Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church in Mt. Vernon, WA.

In 1940 her father married a long-time friend and co-worker, Gertrude Toedltl, who became the girls’ stepmother. Gertrude had a small farm near Strafford, Missouri, and this became Sue’s new home, where she attended grade school. When Sue was eleven years old, she lost her father. This was a difficult time now, being raised alone by her stepmother. She changed schools and attended high school in Springfield, Missouri. Sue joined the high school band playing the saxophone, and this gave her the opportunity to participate in many school functions. In high school, other studies included classes in secretarial skills. After high school graduation, Sue was employed in a local bank for two years. Life at home was becoming strained, and she began thinking about moving away. She was attracted to possibly joining the military. After due thought and prayer, she chose the Women’s Army Corp (W.A.C.). She was stationed at Ft. Lee, Virginia’s W.A.C. Training Center. After basic and advanced training, she was permanently assigned to the Post Headquarters Command Records Center as a clerk/stenographer.

Sue enjoyed her military life and her job. Often times, evenings and weekends would find her at the Non-Coms Service Club visiting with friends and meeting new people. She was attracted to, and became close friends with, a good-looking corporal by the name of Al Berger. Their relationship grew quickly, and they were married on April 5, 1952 in Fort Lee, Virginia. After their military discharge they traveled west, arriving in Seattle, Al’s hometown. They settled there, renting a houseboat on Lake Union. This was their home for the next two years. It was a fun time.

Al went back to work at Boeing, and Sue became employed in a local airline office in downtown Seattle. As an employee she was able to fly on their company’s planes for free. This gave Sue and Al trips to New York, twice to Southern California, to Chicago where Al grew up, and to Europe. This was a “once in a lifetime” experience, never to be forgotten.

In 1955 Al changed jobs and went to work for the telephone company. Sue continued work at the airline office. They were thinking seriously of buying a house. They located and bought a small house in North Seattle. It wasn’t too long before the house remodeling, lasting almost thirty years, began.

Sue worked only a couple more years before starting her new role as homemaker. On January 17, 1959 Jean Marie became the first to make us a family.  In August 1961 Arne Richard joined as well, and in 1963 Raymond Albert completed the Berger family.

She put everything she had into caring for and nurturing her children, as well as operating a smooth-running household. Meals were well-prepared, and there was always a snack when the children came home from school. During school hours Sue volunteered once a month at a foot clinic in Lake City, helping folks not able to care for themselves. She also helped at the Fircrest School for the severely handicapped, illustrating for them the love that Jesus has for all His children.

One by one, the Berger children completed high school and began new experiences in their lives. Jean attended the University of Washington, Arne went to Georgia Tech. in Atlanta, and Raymond started his career as a garage mechanic, house painter and petty officer in the United States Navy.

With the house finally completed remodeled, thoughts began to emerge about moving. After months of searching, a small farm was purchased in Clear Lake, in Skagit County, Washington. It seemed like Sue had gone full circle growing up on a farm, and now, being back on a farm again. It wasn’t long before that farm gathered a menagerie of animals: first goats, then sheep, then taking care of the neighbor’s horses from time to time. Adding to that, there was a big garden, seven fruit trees, rhododendrons and flowers. Life was good.

In 1986, Sue went to work at the Clear Lake Post Office as an assistant to Postmaster Deanna Ammons, who became a lifelong friend. Sue soon learned the names and post office box numbers of most of the town’s people and became friends with many of them. Sue resigned from the post office after six years.

The years went by quickly in Clear Lake, and after twenty years it became time to move our tired bodies. A mobile home became our new home in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Neighbors in the circle soon became Sue’s friends, and the five years there went by quickly. Raymond, our son now living in Mt. Vernon, mentioned that the house directly across the street was coming up for sale. With the urging of all three children, it was decided to purchase. As fate would have it, while the final purchase papers were being completed, Sue became terribly sick with an intestinal blockage. An emergency operation was performed, saving her life. After weeks in the hospital, and more weeks in a recovery facility, Sue was finally able to occupy her new home. Recovery, however, was never fully complete. Sue’s lungs were showing signs of weakness. There was some scarring, possibly going back to her childhood, which had not been a bother prior to the operation. One such incident brought Sue back to the hospital unable to breathe. Because of her declining health, it was necessary for her to have supplementary oxygen at all times. Mobility was greatly diminished, and any travels required oxygen to be taken along. This started a period of over two years with her wearing some apparatus to keep her alive. Sue was resolute to this lifestyle, and rarely complained. She valiantly carried on during good and bad days.

It was time for additional care. Sue was joined by Hospice, and their personnel buoyed her up with their special touch, true to the end. Her days dwindled to a precious few, and Sue died peacefully in her sleep on December 7, 2021.

Sue leaves behind Al, her husband of 69 years; her three children and their families; daughter, Jean Marie and her husband  Dave Wilcox; son, Arne and his wife Jeannine, their two children Nicole and husband Jason Williams, and Michelle and husband Jeff Marcoux; two great-grandchildren, Brody and Kaley Bell; son, Raymond and his wife Julia, their three children Daniel, Joshua and Jonathan; two great-grandchildren, Gerard and Aurora.

Sue will be sorely missed by so many that she has touched over her lifetime.  A Memorial service will be held at 2:00, on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, 1511 E Broadway, Mount Vernon, WA.   Share your memories of Sue and sign the online guest register.