Susan Fosnot

1953 - 2023

SUSAN J. FOSNOT

Born: December 28, 1953

Died: April 30, 2023

Susan Fosnot passed away at Good Shepard Hospital, Barrington, Illinois, on April

30, 2023. She was born to Robert and Margaret (Schlotthauer) Fosnot of Madison, Wisconsin. On January 12, 1985, she married Michael Burditt in Madison, Wisconsin. She became a long-time resident of Woodstock, Illinois when she and her husband moved there from Chicago in 1991. In time, Susan changed her career course to pursue her long-time passion of creating cloth dolls and teaching doll making in which she thrived.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Susan followed in her mother's footsteps by becoming an artist with a particular interest in traditional, hand-made cloth dolls dressed in clothing which she designed and created and which were made of period fabric. Her mother sparked her daughter's interest in the centuries-old art at a very young age.

Inspiration for her artistry came from the study of American cloth-doll artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries such as Emma Adams and Izannah Walker. For many years Susan shared her collective body of knowledge by teaching classes in the art of cloth-doll making at the Old Courthouse Art Center in Woodstock, Illinois. She was elected to membership in the National Institute of American Doll Artists, and was a member of the Original Doll Artist Council of America and the United Federation of Doll Clubs. Teaching classes and displaying her dolls at the national conventions of these organizations made her well known and highly respected throughout the country. She was four times chosen for recognition in Early American Life's "Directory of Top Traditional American Crafts."

Susan was a passionate humanitarian, environmentalist and a strong advocate for animal rights. Over the years, there were several lucky, rescued felines who made their home with her and Mike. She had a delightful, straight-forward personality and a wonderfully wry sense of humor.

She is survived by her husband, Michael; her brother-in-law Richard (Laurie) Burditt, sister-in-law Julie Ann Cross and two nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents and her half-sister Kari Myers of Madison. At her request no formal services were held. Donations may be made in her memory to the Animal Services and Assistance Program (ASAP-USA.org) in Marengo, IL.

To view Susan's beautiful artistry, please visit "Tribute to Susan Fosnot" by Rachel Hoffman on YouTube.