Susan Leigh (Robinson) Mitton, 62

“The chains were broken to this earthly world” for Susan Leigh (Robinson) Mitton, 62, “to go and be taken to her place at the side of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” on May 6, 2017.

Susan Leigh Robinson was born Feb. 23, 1955, in Portland to Frank and Louise (Jones) Robinson. Susan was raised east of Portland, in Gresham. She graduated from Gresham High School in 1973 and attended Mount Hood Community College.

In March 1975 she married; that union brought forth a wonderful daughter, Bridget Louise Dobler, born in October 1977.

Susan was raised in an outdoor family; as a result she spent a great deal of her time hunting and fishing with her parents, brother and family friends. Susan had a great love for the outdoors. She spent many of her youthful days romping through forests and running through streams, always marveling at God’s beautiful creation. She was her dad’s hunting partner and, at the age of 13, her father insisted Susan take a gun safety course. She was the only girl in the class of 15, and she scored the highest on the written test. Her dad was very proud of his little girl.

In June of 1989 she remarried and found herself a year later moving from Portland to the San Francisco Bay Area. But the adventure continued on, 17 months later when Susan and family moved to Spokane, sight unseen. After five years in the Spokane area, it was a move to Kalispell in October 1996 where she had remained until her death.

Susan worked in various fields throughout her life, starting with three years at Schmidt and Son Tree Nursery, 12 years with Mervyn’s Department store, for a short time in the corporate office of Sizzler Restaurant, three and a half years with Lukins and Annis Law Firm, and one year at Tri-States Rebar, both located in Spokane. In Kalispell she worked for the Potter’s Field Ministries and since February of 1998 for the Evergreen School District, six years in Evergreen Junior High office before transferring to the superintendent’s office in November of 2004.

In March of 2008 she met her soul mate, Terry W. Mitton. They wed in August of 2009 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in a beautiful chapel built in 1908, with dear friends and family beside them to start their journey together. Susan loved to travel, so Terry made sure she got to travel to places she once only dreamed about like Cancun, Florida, cruising the Mexican Rivera, touring Washington, D.C., Boston, Paris and London and relaxing in the Hawaiian Islands … just to name a few.

Susan will be remembered for her compassion, especially for the elderly — she could sit and listen to them talk for hours — and for her love of cooking and endlessly watching the cooking channel and reading cooking magazines. Susan was an avid gardener both of vegetables and flowers … she had the proverbial “green thumb.” While on their many travel adventures, Susan always marveled at local exotic flowers, trees, shrubs and veggies. Another favorite thing to do was to cuddle on the couch with her three boys, Terry, and her two sweet and laughable pugs. Susan also loved camping with Terry. They spent many wonderful weekends sitting by the campfire and watching the stars together, just enjoying each other’s company.

Susan was preceded in death by her father Frank, mother Louise, brother Wayne, and Uncle Morris Jones and JE Jones.

Susan is survived by her husband, Terry Mitton, daughter Bridget Oestreich and her husband Cory of Kalispell, Scott and Annie Mitton of Missoula and the light of “Gram’s” eyes, her grandchildren Maggie Mitton, 8, and Kyler Oestreich, 2, as well as aunts and uncles, Gary and Faye Jones, and Ferne Jones, wife of Morris, from Gresham, Oregon; brother Frank A. Robinson and his wife Carol from New Pine Creek, Oregon; and sister Judy Stewart of Portland; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

A life celebration will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 13, at the Evergreen Junior High gymnasium with private internment at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls.

In lieu of flowers, send donations to local Humane Society, Shepherd’s Hand Clinic, Ray of Hope Ministries, or the Flathead County Animal Shelter.

Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for Susan’s family.