A memorial to our beautiful mother, Sue Ann Miller Larratt, fondly known for her boundless joyful energy passed away peacefully on Wednesday Dec. 28th with her family at her side. She was 86.
I see you in the stars above
I feel you in the breeze that lingers
Your music was always 'over the rainbow'
And I know I may find you there
You are my shining inspiration
I know I must let you go
But your pulse will forever live
Upon my loving soul.
You remind me of all I am meant to be
A light that makes me soar
Thank you for your 'can do' outlook
May you find peace in eternity
I will yearn for your presence
But I will always know you are near
Your children, your friends, your greats and grands
Forever reminded of what life can be
Your strength and words of wisdom
I take with me on my journey
And share the memories
Along the way
Until we meet again.
L.L.Warne
Tributes
Leave a tributeWhen I opened the letter of your passing I wept, deeply. But in this, is a knowing that your light transcends. You were a powerful presence in my life and I know that we had a special bond. I will love you forever. Rest peacefully, and I know your charm, your smile, your love, your light will always live on.
And for you Lisa, I am sorry for this deep loss. I send my love to you as well and know that you are an incredible daughter, an incredible advocate for your mother. You both are very very blessed.
Lots and lots of love <3
All my love, Lisa
Dona[Bahr] Zsori
We had many adventures and fun times through the years which we will always remember fondly.
With loving thoughts to our Mother and Grandmother,
Ken, Jill, Nikki and Krista
Thank you Gagu
Love you forever - Rachel Warne
Love Kate
Lots of Love from,
Your Granddaughter Hannah
In Florida, I remember good times with Sue, Stuart and Erik visiting in Sanibel and looking for Halley’s comet.
Sue, Stu and Erik on that visit would each hold up their car keys before getting into the van to make sure they had them: They would say, “Key – Lime- Pie” as they counted their keys.
Sue would visit Arv and Ave at Cross Creek on Friday nights for dinner and watch “Washington Week in Review” together. Boppa always made sure she had her own pint of Chocolate Chocolate Chip Haagen Das ice cream. She never needed a bowl, just a spoon and would enjoy the whole pint!
Sue was always a good sport about wearing a costume for the Anderson costume parties on Sanibel between Christmas and New Years. She was at many of these gatherings. She would orchestrate our family photographs. Not at easy task with twenty of us.
We’d have fun times visiting with her, talking in lawn chairs at the beach on Sanibel at the end of Jamaica and Tahiti Drives.
Sue was such a good conversationalist. When she talked with you she always asked lots of questions and showed that she really cared about you and how you were doing.
We miss her, but are so thankful for the positive memories we have of Sue.
Dona [Bahr} Zsori
Leave a Tribute
From Kristin Anderson
Dear Cousins,
My thoughts are with you and I send my condolences on Sue’s death.
I know the past two years have been very hard. I am glad Sue is at peace.
I have many fond memories of family fun with the cousins, Sue and Stu. I even have a brief memory of two visits in New Berlin. There were so many wonderful memories of times at Beaver Lake – the picnics by the lake, the swimming and sailing, and the laughter! Those beautiful days will stay in my memory forever.
Bob and I were also lucky to have time with Sue and Stu in England. Sue and Stu would visit London for a while and we would go off together on some short trips to the English countryside. Our usual routine was to stay at a B & B, have peanut butter for lunch and have a cozy evening meal in a country pub.
We traced the Larratt heritage in Tudeley and Capel (Kent); Maxey and Peterborough (in what used to be Northhamptonshire); and Cambridge (Cambridgeshire). We went to Beachy Head to see a part of the famous white cliffs near Dover and we went to Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire. It was wonderful when Jill and Lisa were able to join us as well.
Sue and Stu did a lot of travelling on their own as well. They went around Britain and all over Europe. They would travel for weeks and then come back to stay in London for a little while before heading off again.
Sue was such a strong person for Stu. I thought she was so courageous to drive all over Europe while keeping a positive attitude. I know she also drove all over the US and Hawaii.
I will go through some pictures and send a few from our trips together. I miss those days, I miss Stu and Sue. I am grateful for our extended family.
Much love to all of you,
Kristin ( and Bob, Evelyn and Sylvia)
From Jean Bickel Tiernan
When I fisrt met Sue I was in third grade. My family had moved out from Shorewood. My Dad had us move. None of us wanted to go. That's so funny to me because I think of it as such a bleesing that I got to grow up there.Especially on Beaver Lake with wonderful neighbors like the Larratt's.
When I think of Sue I have to start in the beginning because to me at that age she was Mrs. Larratt. I think of her as strong, fun, and adventurous. I loved her laugh and smile.
We spent a lot of time together growing up. My twin brother Rob and I were very close with Erik & Lisa. We did everything together. A few of our favorites were swimming, sailing, ice skating, and skiing. We use to play fun games like kick the can, and hide and seek with all the larratt kids.
We would go to their house to play. Sue always had some fun creative activity for us.
My brother use to drive her a bit crazy. He was a little mischievous at that young age. Doing things like lighting off a firecracker in their house did not make him very popular with her. She was strong enough to send him packing a few times.
One of my favorite memories was when we had a giant snow storm on April 9th. Everything was closed and we had a snow day! It was mine and Rob's birthday.
Lisa and Erik came over with some cupcakes and presents. We palyed out side all day building forts in the snow. It was the best birthday ever!
When we got older we sadly sold our houses on the lake. Sue & Stuart took off traveling and enjoying our beautiful country. The last time I saw them together in Florida they looked so happy.
I was able to go and see Sue a few times on the west coast on Sanibel Island at the craft store. Her eyes would light up when I would walk in! We would hug and visit and catch up.
I feel blessed to have known her and the family. We are all still good friends with lots of great memories.
My heartfelt condolences to all of her family and friends.
Love,
Jean Bickel Tiernan
From Susan Anderson Dean
Memories of my dear, stylish, organized, fun loving Auntie Sue—I
miss her.
I have many memories of Sue that are intertwined with Uncle Stuart, Beaver
Lake and love of fun times with Larratt cousins. I think we all share many
childhood memories. We were fortunate that Jenny and Will and then Frank
and Sadie found a lovely spot to raise and nurture their families. —I always
longed to be there. — In the late 80’s Jeff, Brian and Ellen and I began
staying at Meadowlawn on Prior Lake—this was Jeff’s Grandfathers summer
home—it was really a family compound. there was a large house which had
been his grandfathers and several smaller cottages. We spent 15 summers
there as companions for Jeff’s great Aunt. One of the first years Sue visited
—I think she had been at a reunion of St. Olaf friends ? not sure. anyway I
was very pleased to show her the place. “Sue I have found a Beaver Lake
for my children” —there was space to roam,a fresh lake to swim and sail in
and steady stream of cousins to play with.—The day Sue visited we had
walked to the large house and then down to the lake towards laughter. Much
to my surprise and Sue’s , Jeffs’ cousins were swimming “au natural” we
turned and left embarrassed. For years later we would tease each other and
ask if either of us had been to a nude beach lately! She was a good sport.
When I was a little girl I thought Sue was glamorous. In the office at
Morningside—Bapas house, a photo hung on the wall of Stuart and Sue
waving good bye out the back window of a car after their wedding. I
remember thinking the picture was very romantic and Sue very glamorous.
— Thinking she looked like Audrey Hepburn. —Years later she traded in all
the gowns she’d worn as wedding attire for a uniform of shorts and
sleeveless blouses! She wore them with pride as proof she was meant to live
in warm climates!.
When I was around 11? , I have a vivid memory of being in the kitchen at
the same house. Sue was describing a trip to the relatively new shopping
center near Milwaukee—Mayfair?—She had been pushing the twins in a
double stroller with Kari and Jill each walking on one side and she had Lisa
in a front pack or back pack. She laughed as she told us she felt people
were looking at her critically for having a large family so close in age. She
said she had wanted to respond “We planned them all, We want a big
Family!!!” I was impressed with her confident can do spirit.
Around the same time or maybe a few years later, Sue and Avis decided
the interior of the Beaver Lake house needed a face lift. I remember being
banished to the front porch and outside. Kari, I and others were looking into
the living room to see Sue and Avis painting, reupholstering furniture—a
complete make over. We weren’t allowed in until it was complete. An
upstairs bedroom was wallpapered with woodland creatures to entertain us
or add to the atmosphere as Bapa told magical bedtime stories.—Many
years later after Sue had settled in Ft. Myers, she put those redecorating
skills to work at 3 Crafty Ladies. I felt sorry when her time there ended with
bitterness, because during the years she worked there she was “in her
element!” We saw her there through several different locations. We’d always
stop to see her at work. It was terrific to watch her teach a craft class or help
a customer with a purchase. She was confident, made projects appear easy
and made customers leave happy! I would be surprised that she had
absolutely no interest in doing crafts once she was out of the shop. “done
that been there” and so she had. Norwegian knit sweaters a plenty. I
remembering feeling very honored when she gave one to Brian as a baby
gift.
Sue and Avis proudly shared a love of NOT COOKING! They loved
going to Perkins for years. They had cooked so many meals for so many
years they were ready to be done. But I remember many happy times at
Beaver Lake having picnics after hours and hours of swimming. For years
my favorite was “Aunty Sue’s Great Grape Salad” a recipe she submitted for
one of the Anderson-Larratt Cookbooks.
Others have shared how she was a regular part of the Anderson Sanibel
Holiday gatherings. So much a part of them that she is a line in Scott
Andersons version of White Christmas—“Im dreaming of a Tan
Christmas”——There is a line that says ...We’ll boat to Cayo Costa and get
back in time to visit with Aunt Sue....” and visit she did—she’d come back
from Wisconsin with photos and stories of all of you. She’d want to know
what we were all doing. She’d share stories of trips and the latest on Sanibel
politics or birds or being a vegetarian. She’d be a good sport and join in the
costume parties. Of course she’d be our official photographer! always
admonishing us to “watch the hands”
She met Jerry after Avis and Arvid had moved North. When I first met him
—she was so very happy. Yes, she truly cared for him but I always viewed it
as something more. She could freely talk about Stuart with him and their
happy times together. Also the challenges of caring for an ill loved one as
Jerry had loved his wife Evie (I think that was her name) and cared for her at
the end of her life. She would say over and over, I just know we all would
have been great friends.” I have no way to know whether that is true on not,
but do know it gave her pleasure to have had his friendship.
Last year in Florida I missed her. Im grateful to have had her in my life. I
smile remembering a smiling woman in shorts and sleeveless blouse walking
on the beach ready to stop when she’d see me and suggest “lets sit and and
have a talk ,lets catch up.”
Love to you all, Susan Anderson Dean 1/2/2017