Suzanne Grabs Sylling, 77

Suzanne Grabs Sylling, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and cousin, “was called to rest” on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, at the Bitterroot Living Center in Stevensville.

She was born in Tacoma, Wash., on March 13, 1937, to Frank and Evelyn Grabs and was their only child. She was raised and attended school in Tacoma, graduating high school from Annie Wright Seminary in 1954. Suzanne was an active member of the Woodbrook Hunt Club where her life-long love of horses began.

Suzanne met her husband, Alvin Sylling, at Pacific Lutheran University in the fall of 1954, her freshman year. They were married April 5, 1957, in the Chapel at PLU.

Suzanne’s family was her number one priority. She was a loving homemaker for 20 years, raising two daughters, Kerianne and Krista. Suzanne was active in her daughters' lives, working as a volunteer at school and as a 4-H leader, and spending many hours driving her girls to competitions with their horses.

After raising her girls, she worked as an active partner in the family businesses in Washington, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. She was actively involved in the Intermountain Horse Show Association, the Montana State Horse Show Association and the Montana Horse Racing Association. Her passion, second only to her family, was for animals. She was an animal advocate, always trying to make the world a better place for God's creatures. She rescued and cared for countless cats and dogs and was expert at finding them homes. In her kitchen, she nursed many needy animals, including a magpie with a broken wing, an abandoned day-old piglet, newborn calves and orphaned kittens.

Her compassion didn't stop with animals; she was a sounding board and soul mate to countless people, from family members to acquaintances.  She was loved by her family and friends and was always ready with a listening ear. She had the ability to make everyone around her feel very special. She and Alvin taught Sunday School and provided Christmas treats for the youth at their Calvary Lutheran Church where she was active in their ministries until her failing health prevented her from continuing.

Suzanne was preceded in death by her father in 1954; her mother in 2008; her uncles, George and Anders; and her aunts, Kathryn, Hazel and Helen.

She is survived by her husband, Alvin Sylling, of Stevensville; her daughters, Kerianne and Tom Robertson of Boerne, Texas, and Krista Martens of Kalispell; her granddaughters, Ariana Wemple at Washington State University and Claire Robertson at University of Montana; her stepgrandchildren, Brock and Ashleigh Martens of Australia and Sunny Martens of Kalispell; her son-in-law, Wayne Martens, of Hawaii; her near-daughter, Nancy Miller; her aunt, Doris Anderson; and her cousins, Layne Green, Ann Schnitzer, Susan Fox, Mark Harding, Paula Leitz, Pamela Meath, Kay Anderson, Richard Anderson and Jon Anderson.

Her memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Calvary Lutheran Church, 2200 U.S. 2 E., Kalispell.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the following: Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force, P.O. Box 2095, Whitefish, MT 59937; the Evergreen Community Supper at Calvary Lutheran Church, 2200 U.S. 2 E, Kalispell, MT 59901; or Ray of Hope, P.O. Box 5407, Kalispell, MT 59903.