Susan Ylitalo

1949 - 2021

Ylitalo, Susan M.

SHENANDOAH, Iowa - Susan Ylitalo died Dec. 26, 2020, of colon cancer. She was born in Hibbing, Minn., in 1949. In 1954, her father, Dr. William Ylitalo, moved the family to Madison to begin his pediatric practice.

A sensitive and gifted poet, artist, and musician, she played classical and folk guitar, cello and bass. With her twin, Sally, Sue sang and played guitar in a trio at many Madison events. Sue also sang and played guitar at a variety of Madison restaurants. Sue mastered guitar as a student of Roy Plum, protégé of Andres Segovia.

Throughout life, Sue wrote poetry and kept a journal. Many of her poems were published in journals highlighting Madison's poets. Two of the family's favorites, written about her struggle with schizophrenia, were, "These Windows have been Cloudy for so Long, I Thought They were Walls," and "Hope": "Hope is a clear gem. A pure water-fed crystal. And I awaken every morning with hope."

After completing her degree in education at UW, she accepted a position teaching fifth grade in Portland, Ore. A dedicated teacher, she positively impacted the life of each student.

Her schizophrenia diagnosis at 30 led her father to contact Dr. Fuller Torrey, international expert on schizophrenia. For several years, Sue and Sally participated in Dr. Torrey's study on schizophrenia of 60 twins They were also featured in a PBS documentary on schizophrenia, frequently viewed in university psych classes.

Tragically, her delusions overcame her. Voices told her of awful things that family members and friends were doing. Rational talking could not convince her otherwise. Delusions and altered brain chemistry sadly kept her from her teaching and educational dreams, but she volunteered at Meriter Hospital.

Escalating delusions propelled her to bus to South Dakota. She hitchhiked to towns with colorful names: Deadwood, Mars, Clarinda, and Shenandoah, Iowa. She lived independently in Shenandoah for 22 years and volunteered at Meals on Wheels. Her doctor prescribed clonazapine, which virtually ended her delusions. A serious case of sepsis with encephalopathy in 2017 left her wheelchair bound, and she moved to Garden View Care.

Sue's faith was extremely important to her. She attended Friend's Meeting house in Madison grades 1-8, and Covenant Presbyterian Church during high school. Following her diagnosis, she devoutly dove into many of the world's great religions. She was a devotee of the Sufi Master Pier Vilyat Khan for many years. She read numerous books about the Catholic saints and cooked meals at a Chicago monastery for several years. Her schizophrenia prevented her from her aspiration of serving in a Carmelite convent. Fond of Martin Buber, she studied the Jewish mystics. A devout born again Christian, she spent most of the last 25 years of her life in Shenandoah reading the Bible and praying in tongues for the world for hours a day.

She is survived by her siblings, Jo Ylitalo Sullivan (St. Paul), Sally Ylitalo Maxton (twin) (Baltimore, Md.), Ann Ylitalo Jensen (Minocqua), and Bill Ylitalo (Woodstock, N.Y.); nieces and nephew whom she dearly loved, Ashindi and Asia Maxton, Brigid and Maggie Sullivan, and Erika and Adam Jensen; and great-nieces and great-nephews, including Azania Maxton Gethers, Bridey (Sullivan) Eberhart, Ivy and Iverson (Sullivan) Williams, and Ava and Tristan (Jensen) Klecker.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. William Ylitalo and Mary (Wit) Ylitalo; uncle and aunts, Dr. E.W. (Joe Ylitalo) and Faye Ylitalo and Helen Richter; and cousin, Joseph Ylitalo. A private Zoom memorial service is TBA. Donations may be sent to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) or Garden View Care; Shenandoah, Iowa.