Suzy Muelken
Suzanne Marie Muelken will always be remembered as a caring, loving woman, who was more concerned about others than her own well-being. Suzy Muelken of Prior Lake passed away peacefully, after her last rites, surrounded by her family, on October 13, 2015 at the age of 75, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, October 16 at 2:00pm with the visitation from 11:00am-2:00pm, all at the Church of St. Michael, Prior Lake. Father Thomas Walker will preside. Urn bearers will be Suzy’s grandchildren, Dylan Muelken Grosklags, Ashlee Sames, Amber Estenssor.
It was a happy day for Martin and Beulah (Spangenberg) Weninger on June 24, 1940, when they celebrated the birth of their precious baby girl, Suzanne. This was their fourth of six children and their youngest daughter. Suzy grew up in St. Paul and was a social butterfly, ultimately being crowned the winter carnival queen at the St. Paul winter carnival. She graduated from Monroe high school in St. Paul in 1958.
Shortly before her high school graduation she met the love of her life, Eugene “Gene” Muelken. After three years of courtship they were married on August 27, 1960 at St. Paul Holy Spirit Church. From this union they were blessed with two children, Kay and Billy.
Following high school, she received her dental hygienist license and worked in that field for nearly two years. She then spent the next many years raising her children and also being a foster parent to many children, a passion that both her and Gene loved and enjoyed.
Suzy then spent the next 10 years being a flower designer at Terri-Jo’s floral, another passion that she exceled at and loved. Keeping with her venture to try new things, she spent the next several years as a travel agent and sales person at Enggren’s Clothing in Prior Lake. For the next 21 years she worked for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, spending most of her time as an administrative assistant in their gaming commission department. She loved her position, and always said, they treated her like a queen.
She had a love for travel which included cruises to Catalina Island as well as many parts of Mexico. Her and Gene spent time in Arizona and Jamaica. Her time with her grandchildren in Marco Island and especially Disney were precious to her. But her best memories were with all of her family at the family resort on Lake Vermillion in Minnesota.
Suzy was a collector of Hummel figurines, tea pots, decorative plates, angels and other angelic items. Her family will miss her wonderful cooking that they all enjoyed.
Left to mourn her passing are her children, Kay Grosklags, Billy (Mary Wyman) Muelken; grandchildren, Ashlee Sames, Amber (Walter) Estenssoro, Dylan Muelken Grosklags; siblings, Robert (Kathy) Weninger,Nancy (Bill) Klingberg, John (Glenna) Weninger, James (Elizabeth) Weninger; sister in law, Helen Weninger.
Suzy was preceded in death by her loving husband, Gene; parents, Martin and Beulah (Spangenberg) Weninger; brother, William Weninger.
The Muelken family is served with honor, care and compassion by Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation, Prior Lake Chapel. www.ballardsunderfuneral.com
