Susan Marie Wasson

Susan Marie (Alexander) Wasson was born on September 9, 1968 to Ralph and Phyllis Alexander in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the oldest child and always looked out for her younger siblings, Jeff and Amy. Throughout her childhood the family lived in Columbus, Ohio, Port Washington, Wisconsin, and Chesterfield, Missouri, where she graduated from Lafayette High School in 1987. She attended William Jewell College in the Kansas City area, where she met the love of her life, Matthew Wasson. During college, Susan traveled to Great Britain where she participated in a British Teaching program at Bath University. The highlight of her trip was riding the Far North Railway Line to the northern tip of Scotland. In 1991, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Susan taught third grade at Englewood Christian School before leaving the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom. The greatest joy of Susan’s life was becoming a mother and grandmother. Susan and Matthew welcomed their daughter Emily in 1992 and their son Eric in 1997. Susan was a devoted wife and mother who was happiest when surrounded by family. She was very organized, managing her household with efficiency. She enjoyed cooking, baking, crafting, scrapbooking, jigsaw puzzles, coloring books, and playing board games. She taught herself how to knit and quilt, which became her artistic passion. Working with the Quilts of Valor group in Columbus, Indiana, she made well over 100 quilts donated to disabled veterans, earning a certificate of appreciation from the Indiana National Guard. Susan’s children remember her as a devoted mother who put their needs ahead of her own. She had the ability to make ordinary moments feel gifts. Summer included trips to the library, loading up on tote bags full of books that promised weeks of mental adventure, and built a lifelong love of reading. She created fun in simple ways, setting up sprinklers for the kids to run through in the yard, and helping them with school projects and encouraging arts and crafts. Weekend mornings she made household cleaning fun by filling the house with music. Her love of music was shared freely and intentionally, encouraging her son Eric through piano lessons and school band, creating a home where a song was always welcomed. Worshiping together in church alongside her parents created lifelong memories of multiple generations harmonizing and blending voices in song – a living testament to the faith and joy she carried and passed on. She made many sacrifices to give her children the best opportunities, and she highly prioritized their education and character. Her kids knew that they could always count on her for a listening ear and sound advice, making their favorite foods, providing practical help, shopping for clothes, or just giving them some extra cash for unexpected expenses. The most important legacy that Susan left was that of her Christian faith. She worked diligently to pass her faith on to her children and grandchildren. She prioritized teaching them the Bible, singing Christian songs, helping them memorize Scripture, and ensuring they attended Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. She had the glorious privilege of leading her daughter Emily, son Eric, and grandson Benjamin to faith in Jesus Christ. Through the years, she applied her love for teaching children through her work in preschool and childcare. Putting her educational background to work in God’s kingdom, she volunteered in various church programs as well as Bible Study Fellowship and Community Bible Study. Wholly supporting her husband Matthew’s call into pastoral ministry, she applied herself to teaching kids of all ages about Jesus. This culminated in her serving as the Children’s Ministry Director at Grace Fellowship Church until stepping down due to health issues. Dedicated to her family, Susan followed her husband through several corporate relocations, living in the Kansas City, Indianapolis and Nashville metro areas as well as Columbus, Indiana, before moving to Omaha, Nebraska in 2012. She quickly adapted to living in Nebraska, loving the big blue skies of the Great Plains, and embracing “The Good Life”. What made her life in Nebraska the most meaningful was being near her adult children and their growing families, as well as her church family at Grace Fellowship Church. She is survived by her husband, Matthew; her parents, Ralph and Phyllis Alexander; her daughter, Emily (Zach) Hudson; her son, Eric (Erica) Wasson; grandchildren: Benjamin, Henry and Eleanor; and siblings, Jeff (Sara) Alexander and Amy (Dan) Erickson. Memorials may be directed to Grace Fellowship Church or The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation.

Susan Marie Wasson

September 9, 1968 - March 21, 2026