Priscilla Sue Shannon (Smith)

Priscilla Sue Shannon, “Sue”, of Ridgway, CO passed away at age 73 at Colorow Care Center in Olathe, Colorado on April 6, 2020. At her side was her husband, Ron, of 53 years. Sue was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 9, 1947, the youngest of three children of Robert Burns Smith, and Dorothy Rose Holmes Smith. She moved with her parents and siblings, Peter Dean and Polly Ann, to Wisconsin Dells, WI when she was five years old. The family moved to an abandoned farmstead on 40 in Adams County, purchased a cow, some chickens and a pony.  Sue loved the farm and the animals they soon began to acquire, her favorite being Sassy, the goat. Soon the pony was joined by a horse and then another. Jinx Valley Ranch was born. Sue and her sister, Polly, became expert riders. Sue excelled in barrel racing and pole bending at local horse shows. They purchased their first registered Arabs from a rancher in Montana. Sue would ride her Arabian stallion in horse shows and parades around the state, including the Wisconsin All Arabian show in Madison, WI. Sue attended Wisconsin Dells High School and was part of the all-girl drum section in the band. She graduated from high school in 1965 and attended Sauk County Teachers College in nearby Reedsburg, WI for the next two years. It was there that she would meet Ronald Shannon, whom she would marry upon graduating from the college. Sue and Ron were married July 15, 1967 in the Reedsburg United Methodist Church, by Rev, Virgil Holmes attended by Sue’s sister, Polly, and Ron’s older brother, Russell.

The newlyweds moved to Kenosha County and began teaching at Bristol Consolidated School. Their first son, Casey Morgan, was born in 1972 while the couple lived near Silver Lake, WI. They purchased their home in Wheatland Township shortly after their second son, Justin Morgan, was born in 1977. Sue taught 5^th grade while at Bristol, as well as being the cheerleader coach for a few years. She loved her job and she loved the students in her care. While at Bristol, Sue attended UW Parkside campus in Kenosha as well as other UW campuses and received her BA from UWP in 1975. Sue enjoyed travelling each summer and managed to reach all but one of the lower 48 states, as well as spending the entire summer of 1984 in Alaska. After teaching 35 years, Sue and Ron retired from Bristol School in 2002. In the fall of 2009, they sold their home in Wisconsin and moved to Ridgway, CO. In June of 2010, while Jeeping in the mountains, Sue suffered a stroke. She was able to stay at home for five years under the loving care of Ron until he was no longer able to give her the care she needed. In the spring of 2015, she took up residence at Colorow Care Center in Olathe, Colorado. While at Colorow, Sue received wonderful care and was much loved by all who came to know her. The nurses and CNAs became like family to Sue and Ron and shared in Ron’s grief at her passing.

Sue was preceded in death by her grandparents, her parents Robert and Dorothy Smith, and her mother-in-law, Ileen Shannon. She is survived by her husband, Ronald, son Casey and his wife Angela and their children, Elizabeth Linda Sue Shannon, Emma Suzanne Shannon, and Finn Killian Shannon, of Richland Center, WI and other grandchildren Scott and Samantha Stubley, and son, Justin of Ridgway, CO, brother Peter Smith of Ft. Worth TX, and sister Polly Bednar of Baraboo, WI, nine nieces and nephews and twelve grandnieces and grandnephews.

A private family service will be held at Basswood Cemetery in Richland County, Wisconsin.