Susan Lynn Barsness, 51
On Nov. 23, 2006, our beloved Susan Lynn Barsness, 51, "went to be with the Lord" following an automobile accident.
Susan was born Jan. 29, 1955, in Norton,Kan., to Nan and Jerry Hicks. She graduated from high school in White Bear Lake,Minn., and married Steven Barsness on March 21, 1975. Susan was a dental assistantin Whitefish for 10 years before getting her nursing degree from MSU in 1995. She hasbeen a home health nurse since that time for Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
She was the heart of her family, with a zest for life that everyone who knew her will always recall. She had a great sense of humor, but was always thoughtful and tender, invariably sensitive to everyone and everything around her. She enjoyed traveling and exploring many areas if the country, to include biking across New Zealand and sea kayaking inGlacier Bay with Steve, her beloved husband of 31 years. Everyone loved her not onlyfor her ever-present grace and sunny attitude, but also for her standards of loyalty. No one who knew her can remember her having a bad word to say about anyone.
She wrote beautiful and expressive letters, making you laugh out loud with her joy for life. She was also an artist, her eye unerringly capturing the beauty and detail of life around her in music, theater and photography.
"We are all richer for having known her and are gratefulfor having her for as long as God was able to lend her to us."
Susan is survived by herhusband, Steven; parents, Jerry and Nan Hicks; sister, Deb, and her husband, Joe Bowers, ofColumbia Falls; brother, Doug Hicks, of Stillwater, Minn.; nephews, Ryan and Dustin Hicks, of Stillwater; sister-in-law, Cindy Barsness, of White Bear Lake; mother andfather-in-law, Ray and Ardell Barsness, of White Bear Lake; and nephews-in-law, Curtis and Scott Barsness, of White Bear Lake.
Memorial services for Susanwill be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork with Rev. Jack Shannon officiating.
Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.