Helen "Sue" Schalue

1932 - 2025

Helen "Sue" Schalue
When you met Helen "Sue" Schalue, chances are you met a few kids right behind her, smiling, chattering, and tagging along. Raising generations of children wasn't just part of Sue's life, it was at the very heart of it. On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at the age of 93, Sue passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family.
Born April 3, 1932, in Kansas City, Missouri, Sue was the daughter of Hiram Walker Atherton and Helen Mae Atherton (Thompson). On February 6, 1951, she married the love of her life, Harold Francis Schalue, in her family home at 405 Norton, Kansas City, MO. Together, they shared 74 devoted years of marriage.
Reflecting on her 93 years, Sue spent her life nurturing not only the soil in her garden but the lives of everyone around her. A lifelong lover of the outdoors and travel, she made it a point to share those joys with her family. From cross-country road trips and train rides to impromptu swims in creeks when the car broke down, she gave her loved ones the gift of new experiences and lasting memories, always encouraging curiosity, wonder, and growth.
Sue graduated from Northeast High School in 1950. She met Harold at a New Year's Eve party in downtown Kansas City. When Harold offered her and a friend a ride home, Sue pointed out they were going the wrong way. He calmly replied, "It's a one-way street." From then on, so was their life, shared in a single direction, together.
Sue held a variety of jobs over the years: from Kresge's Dime Store, to Cera-Phyl Labs testing chicken feed. She eventually retired as a chemist in the gold shop at Western Electric in Lee's Summit after more than 20 years of service.
In 1971, Sue and Harold fulfilled a lifelong dream and moved to the countryside near Centerview, Missouri, where Harold hand-built their family home. More than 50 years later, that same home still serves as a gathering place for four generations of family, often full of laughter, farm animals, and a bit of chaos.
Sue is survived by her husband, Harold F. Schalue; three children: Virginia "Ginger" S. Johnson (the late D.G. Johnson), Thomas "Tom" H. Schalue, and Dr. Tammie K. Schalue (Dr. Brooks A. Keel); six grandchildren: Cody T. Schalue, Cheyenne K. Schalue Zeimet (Jeremy), Dustin T. Schalue, Luke W. Johnson (Janelle), Deborah "Debbie" A. Johnson, and Susan J. Hagerman; three great-grandchildren: Daniel S. Zeimet, Leah N. Zeimet, and Katherine "Katie" S. Hagerman. She is also survived by her brother, David H. Atherton (Gloria); her sister, M. Kay Killinger (the late Bob Killinger); three cats, and one beloved dog.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Hiram Walker Atherton and Helen Mae Atherton.
Sue's love for animals was boundless. From chickens and rabbits to horses and cows, the animals she helped raise with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were more often pets than livestock. She taught all who knew her that care, patience, and a well-used shade tree were the best tools for raising anything, whether plant, animal, or child.
But perhaps Sue will be remembered most for her open kitchen and her open heart. There was always a warm meal ready, a place at the table, and time to sit and listen. Whether canning green beans or baking something special, her food did more than feed hunger, it brought family together.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at Sweeney Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg, Missouri. A memorial service will follow the visitation at 12:00 p.m., with Dr. Dan Lowry officiating. A graveside service will take place at 1:00 p.m. at the Warrensburg Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Old Drum Animal Shelter or Ascend Hospice in Sue's memory.