Susan Trail

1941 - 2020

Susan Trail (Alexander)
Susan Trail (Alexander), the 4th and youngest child of Floyd and Louise Trail, passed away on Saturday, October 3, 2020 in hospice at Good Samaritan Village Moscow, Idaho from Parkinson's disease.
She was born 79 years ago, July 29th, 1941 in Gritman Memorial Hospital, Moscow Idaho. She attended Russell elementary school in Moscow, St Paul's school in Walla Walla, Washington in the seventh grade and graduated from there in the eighth grade, and graduated from Moscow High School in 1959. She attended the University of Idaho and was a member of the Vandaleers. She graduated from Kinman Business College in Spokane.
She married Malcolm Alexander and Tom Alexander was born to them. They adopted, James Alexander, Heather Storedahl, and Steven (Buddy) Alexander. She and Malcolm fostered many children over the years. They later divorced and she married Ellis Flaaen.
She lived in Ellensburg, Washington for many years where she worked and retired as a cashier at Albertsons. She knew by name everyone who came through the line. Following Ellis' death she lived in assisted living in Ellensburg and then moved to Good Samaritan assisted living at Moscow in January 2018.
She was active in the FISH (friends in service to humanity) food and clothing program in Ellensburg, and was affiliated with the Presbyterian and Baptist Churches there. She was known to her family as a "yard sale queen", delighting in buying lots of interesting things, even a totem pole, but mostly enjoyed meeting new people. She never met a stranger.
She and Ellis enjoyed having coffee each morning at the Truck Stop in Ellensburg. Both were very outgoing and generous in spirit.
She also enjoyed music and sang in the church choir and loved to sing with her siblings songs like "Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight"? At family gatherings. She enjoyed humor of all kinds and loved sharing the wisdom of Maxine cartoons.
She loved to surprise people. When Ellis was 90, she arranged for him to get a diploma from the Minneapolis high school from which he had dropped out during the depression. The principal had a ceremony and assured him that he was graduate material!
Susan was preceded in death by her parents, her brother David Trail, her granddaughter Therra Alexander and her former husband Malcolm Alexander. She is survived by her children, Tom Alexander (Evelyn), James Alexander, Heather Storedahl (Rodney), and Steven Alexander, her brother, Tom Trail, sister Marilyn Trail, sisters in- law Jo Ann Trail and Suzie Trail, as well as her step children. She has 4 children, 9 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and 3 nieces and 6 nephews.
Cremation has taken place and at her request, her ashes will be scattered on the Trail Family farm.
Donations to the Moscow Food Bank, 110 N. Polk Street, may be made in her name, or to your local food bank. Remember to wear purple.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Short's Funeral Chapel and condolences may be left at www.shortsfuneralchapel.com