Susan Boese was born to John Thomas Pennington and Mary Magdalene Wells Pennington on July 3, 1948, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Her journey ended on August 26, 2022, in Owasso, Oklahoma.
During her 74 years she was as daughter, wife, mother, honorary grandmother, and friend. She enjoyed decorating. Any space Susan occupied for more than 20 minutes ended up rearranged and supplemented with a floral centerpiece. She never met an old cookbook she didn’t like, and she collected them, even though she almost never used them. She loved holidays because they gave her the opportunity to get out the good china and cook enormous meals, in her postage-stamp sized kitchen, for the people she loved. She liked to shop for antiques and old things. Gifts from her often came with a declaration of “I saw this in a little antique store and thought you might like it.” In her later years, Susan became an active member of Fireside Baptist Church in Owasso and cherished her church family and the friends she made there.
Susan was a warm, generous, loving, kind woman and it is right and proper that she be remembered as such. But she would be furious if we did not also remember her for her toughness and for her achievements.
She was in a life-changing auto accident, losing an infant daughter and, ultimately, a marriage. She worked hard to support her two remaining daughters, instilling in them a strong work ethic. By her example, they learned the meaning of words like self-reliance, determination, and responsibility.
For a number of years, Susan worked in the medical field before turning her attention to the transportation industry. She talked her way into a job as a dispatcher in the California terminal of an Oklahoma-based trucking company, despite knowing next to nothing about dispatching a truck. She learned fast and in short-order she moved into sales, building business relationships that continue to this day. She eventually became co-owner of a trucking company in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Others were the face of the company, but she was the behind-the-scenes force that kept the doors open during lean times.
She understood the meaning of the phrase “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar” but if sweetness didn’t work, she was tough as nails. If she knew she was right, she went toe-to-toe with her adversary and stayed there until THEY knew she was right. You always knew where you stood with Susan. She was fearless and earned the respect of everyone from tough, professional truck drivers to tough professional executives. At the same time, she cared about people and always tried to help her work family, even when money was tight for the company and for her personally.
She leaves behind so many who will remember her with fondness and love, including her husband Bill Boese, of the home; daughter Kris Burstall, along with her husband Colin, of Muskogee, Oklahoma; daughter Erin Jouwsma, of Woodland Washington; grandson Jadan; extended family, Gary Alexander of Owasso Oklahoma; Step daughters, Cindy Emerson and husband David, of Tulsa; Candy Spurlock of Claremore; Cherish Mireles and husband Ramon of Broken Arrow; and Brittany Ballew of Tulsa; Step grandchildren: Andrew, Corey, Riley, Levi, Mariah, Alisa, Alexis, and Dallas; and Step great-grandchildren: Chloe, Karsyn, Aria, and Brenley
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Mary Teresa Jouwsma, her parents, her husband, Harold Trickey and her brother, Jerry Boyd.
Funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at the Mowery Funeral Service Chapel in Owasso with Pastor Claud Slate, Jr., officiating. Memorial contributions may be made in Susan’s memory to the American Cancer Society, 4110 South 100th East Avenue, Suite 101, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74146. Arrangements and services were entrusted to Mowery Funeral Service of Owasso.
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