Susy B. Eisele

Susy B. Eisele died peacefully on Friday, October 24, 2025 at Kinnic Health in River Falls from complications of esophageal cancer. 

Susy was born on September 10, 1938 in Tiffany Township in Dunn County, the youngest of three children of Arthur and Beulah (Midje) Sorenson. She attended Barron High School and the University of Wisconsin—River Falls (then Wisconsin State College—River Falls), returning later to receive an MS in Elementary Education. After graduating, she married, settled in River Falls, and taught briefly at two area schools before having her two children. She went back to teaching in the old K-9 building in River Falls before moving to Westside Elementary, completing over thirty years as a first-grade teacher. Susy was proud of spending her entire life in three counties in Wisconsin, although this is an exaggeration: Pierce County was left out of the tally. 

Susy was a woman of very strong likes and dislikes. She believed strongly in the importance of teaching reading and music, but perhaps believed even more strongly in the teacher’s lounge. She enjoyed anything made with caramel and detested any form of fish, belying her Scandinavian heritage. She was an avid Packer fan, but may have followed Viking losses more closely. She despised winter, but had a deep appreciation for spring wildflowers; trilliums and spring beauties were her favorites. Susy was quick to temper, but will also be remembered for her kindness in various volunteer activities, such as delivering for Meals on Wheels. She was an excellent cook; her recipe for twice-baked potatoes is a favorite among her family. She also had a dry sense of humor. This last summer, she yelled at her daughter for reading aloud to her son-in-law an article about alligators attacking kayakers in Florida. When asked about why these stories bothered her so much, she replied that she had recently signed up for kayaking lessons. 

Susy’s greatest enthusiasms in retirement were meeting friends for morning coffee and the many social activities she enjoyed at Ezekiel Lutheran Church where she was a longtime choir and circle member, as well as quilter until health problems limited her participation. 

Susy deeply disliked dealing with medical visits of any type, even routine office visits. It is to her credit that she overcame her fears to fight the esophageal cancer she was diagnosed with in the spring. Her family hopes that, in her memory, people who knew her will not ignore symptoms or neglect bone scans. They would also like to thank the entire staff at the Kinnic for their care in the last year and a half. 

Susy was predeceased by her parents and her older sister Geneva Alford. She is survived by her daughter Midge (husband Bill Dennis) of Mountain View, California and her son John (partner Ruby Danao) of Hillsdale, Wisconsin; her grandchildren Megan Molter, Aren Eisele, and Justin Eisele; her brother Sigurd Sorenson and nieces and nephews; and many friends, especially her dear and faithful friends Robbye Sitz, Joyce Walen, and Richard Kelm. 

A memorial service will be held at Ezekiel Lutheran Church in January.

Arrangements are entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of River Falls. For more information or to share a memory, please visit www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com or call 715-425-5644.