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SUSAN B. PARTRIDGE
October 25, 1919 ~ August 27, 2015
"Love and kindness are two words that always came
to mind with Sue, but we can't leave out spunk either."
Our little angel, 4' 7", flew away from us in Vancouver, Washington. Sue will be at rest with her husband, Jack, in the Garden of Grace at Evergreen Memorial Gardens. Susie Seeley Partridge was born on October 25, 1919 on a ranch called "Seeley's Bottom" by the locals, located on the banks of the Columbia River in Skamania County Washington to her parents William E. Seeley "WID" and Grace L. Seeley (Boyer) next to the last of 10. She believed that her 'baby brother' Jiggs, arrived at the ranch in a basket Mrs. Sams had over her arm when she came to help Grace. She was one of four redheads in her family. Hair of red and eyes of blue "Sioux City Sue", will always be 'her' song. She attended Skamania's elementary school and in Cathlamet and last she finished 8th grade at Shumway in Vancouver. She was an excellent student and loved to read. She excelled at crossword puzzles as well. Years later she was tested for grade level and turned out she was at a level of a sophomore in college.
She and Jack were happily married on July 13, 1938 for 48 1/2 years. Jack was also known as "The Mayor of 53rd Street" there in Minnehaha where she lived for 54 years. She rode her riding lawn mower and trimmed two hedges on that acre until she sold it in 2003 when Sue and her 'ride' retired. She wore her "Lawn Ranger" hat to protect from the sun and rode "The Silver Bullet" with blocks wired to the pedals so she could reach.
She moved to Bridgewood Retirement to live and made new friends there. One in particular, Julie Betzner, had people thinking they were twins.
G.I. Joe's, was her last job, from which she retired - twice.
She loved baseball, basketball, and softball (grandson and great-grandson still playing).
All her life from age 3 onward she loved to dance. Her father and brothers played musical instruments (all self-taught) brought home by her father. Sue learned to chord on an old pump organ and later piano. They moved to Vancouver in 1930 and then they played for dances all around Clark County. We all knew how much she loved butterflies and country music. She loved to write poems and did so for her siblings and family as well as for the family "Piggynics". Sue's story about her dad's cows got drunk from revenuers up on the creek above their ranch dumping mash in the creek, published in the Columbian and she wrote a family history for a book she and her daughter, Sharon Sue, put together.
Jack taught her to drive a car back in the 1930's (a huge touring car). Later she drove big ol' Buicks. She gave her son-in-law, Bob, the keys two days before her 90th birthday as she decided it was time for her to stop driving. Sue never had an accident, nor a ticket, but she needed more cushions to have behind her and to sit on so she could see over the steering wheel. (Shrinking from 4' 10 3/4 to 4' 7 will do that to you.) She was thrilled at age 86 when Bob gave her, her very first teddy bear. She loved going for rides in the country to see the trees and mountains.
Sue had a 95th birthday party in October of 2014 and was reunited once again with former neighbors, workmates including her supervisor, and of course surrounded by her family and friends. That story was published in the Milestones in the Columbian.
Last living at Northwest Quality Adult Care home where she was loved and cared for by Vickie and Emanuel, she had visits from many and the day before she left us she got to see her 'other daughter' Becky Hanna from Sequim, Washington. Sue was in such good health for her age so having a stroke was a surprise to all.
Sue is survived by her daughter, Sharon Sue Geiger (Robert Joseph Sr.); grandson, John Michael Nortz (Rene SuAnn) and children, Logan Dakota, Mikaila Cheyenne and Rheanna Mei Nortz; grandson, David Michael Wright; and her 'baby brother Jiggs', Floyd Leroy Seeley, all residing in Vancouver, WA. There are many relatives back in Wisconsin where the Seeley and Boyer families originated from as well. She has nieces and nephews from her family and her husband Jack's family also. These compromise about 6 or 7 generations currently in the area.
Sue was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, "Jack" John Charles Partridge, III; her daughter, Gail Marie Wright; all of her other siblings which included, Troy Benjamin, Harold Earl "Pat", William Clarence, Burr Warren, Bertha Mae Seeley McKay, Robert Elmer, and Frederick Henry Seeley.
A Celebration of Life for Sue will be held on Saturday, September 12th at 3:00 p.m. at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, 1100 NE 112 Avenue in Vancouver, WA. After the memorial we will meet there in the hospitality room. Sue was a blue jeans kind of lady so casual wear will be appreciated.
In lieu of flowers, you could donate to the local Humane Society or Paralyzed Veterans in Sue's name.
Funeral Home
Evergreen Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel
Published in The Columbian on September 6, 2015
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