Susan Ellen Weber Haukness

Susan Ellen Weber Haukness, age 75, passed away surrounded by her loved ones on February 16, 2020, in Fountain Valley, California.

Born on a hot August 3rd, 1944, Susan lived a life filled with passion for the things she loved. Susan had a love for the arts, politics, and a vine-ripened tomato in August. She fiercely loved her family and returned to her “Little House on the Prairie” every summer for canning, conversation, and the evening cocktail hour. Susan’s career as a 5th grade teacher was her life’s mission, dedicating her energy to ensuring her students had educational experiences that they would remember for a lifetime. Nothing brought her more joy, however, than being a Mimi to her grandchildren John and Elizabeth.

Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur John Weber and Norma Jeanne Cox Weber of Hankinson; She is survived by her husband of 40 years Paul, her daughters, Martha (Grant) and Anne (Joel); her siblings, Bill (Barbara), Mary (Roger), and Mark (Kim) and her beloved grandchildren, John and Elizabeth.

“We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way. We cannot know God’s plan for us.

“What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and love, and joy. We can use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them and treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures. And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we can know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of other human beings.”

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, August 8th, at 3:00pm at Emmanuel United Church of Christ in Hankinson, North Dakota. An additional celebration of life will be held October 15th in Huntington Beach, California.

All memorials will go toward creating a grant in Susan’s name to help new teachers in the setup of their classrooms and enriching the lives of their students.