Susan A. Roehrich

Susan Annette Roehrich, age 78, received her angel wings on March 11, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones. She passed away due to complications from pneumonia. Sue was born in Columbus, Ohio on December 1, 1946, to Richard and Gloria (Rude) Roehrich, the first of five children. Growing up, Sue had fond memories of her family camping trips and playing school with her brothers and sisters. She would often tell stories of her many adventures on her grandparent’s farm. Sue spent the summers working as a cook at both a kids camp in northern Wisconsin and at a local drive-in. Children energized her and she delighted in their curiosity and joy for life. She was a member of Phi Delta Kappa and received her Education Degree from Mankato State University.

Sue went on to receive master’s degrees in both Education and Educational Administration. She also obtained a community education license. Sue loved being a life-long learner and continued to take art and jazz classes for enjoyment during her retirement. She dedicated herself to a long successful career in education. Sue was convinced that all students can learn, and enjoyed the moments where she saw the students “light bulb go on”. She helped lay the framework for a program increasing student reading achievement and was nominated numerous times for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year award. She wrote and worked on education policies at the local and state level, and was a very sought-after successful grant writer. She spanned the education spectrum from teaching elementary to high school students, Principal for grades K-12, curriculum director, and was an adjunct professor for Winona State University supervising student teachers until 2020. In 2008, she officially retired after 37 years of service in public education. Her teaching career took her to several communities: Door County, Springfield, Grand Meadow and Winona.

Sue was an active member of the communities where she lived and made life-long friends. She was a devout Episcopalian and served the church as a member of the Vestry and the secretary of the Episcopal Church Women at St. Paul’s in Winona. Sue was active in supporting the League of Women Voters, American Red Cross, Humane Society, American Legion Auxiliary, and the American Camping Association as well as numerous others. Sue was also passionate about her work on the Winona Task Force for the Primary Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence and enjoyed working on the annual county-wide art contest for youth, titled: “Hands are For”. Sue loved to volunteer in the community and was trained in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). She cherished spending time with her family and friends.

Sue valued and tirelessly researched her family history finding out her maternal side was from Norway and the paternal side came over on the Mayflower. She was proud of her family and was happy to pass this information on to the next generation. Sue was passionate about maintaining ties with family and friends. She really enjoyed her weekly get-togethers and holiday parties with friends, who were also retired educators. Sue was very organized; she never forgot a birthday and would often send family/friends notes of thanks, caring thoughts, or inspiring quotes. Sue always spent holidays, birthdays, and special events with her family. She enjoyed going to the cabin, boating, fishing, and snowmobiling. Sue loved to shop; and was always on the hunt for the next angel to add to her collection or the perfect Christmas gift. Countless, priceless memories were made by all, especially during the annual Minneapolis family shopping trip on black Friday. When you visited Sue, you were bound to go to each garden store in town and don’t forget “The Great Pumpkin Patch” on the hill. She spent countless hours working in her yard tending to her flower gardens and rose bushes; her yard was beautiful. She enjoyed feeding the birds and placed many birdhouses in the backyard so she could watch them from her kitchen window. This window also allowed her to watch over her beloved German Shepard dogs.

Throughout her life, wherever she went, Sue always had a German Shepard, often two of them at a time. Her dogs were very important to her, they gave her joy and companionship. She meticulously trained all 15 of them, one of which became a therapy dog. Sue received much enjoyment from taking her therapy dog Tucker to the nursing homes to visit the residents. She loved angels and would always say “The angels are riding with you,” now Sue is an angel and can always ride with us.

Sue is survived by her sisters, Nancy Larson and Mary Roehrich; brother, Mark Roehrich (Kristine); sister-in-law, Claudette Parchment-Roehrich; nieces and nephews; Lisa Cain (Jeff), Christopher Larson (Meghan), Adam Roehrich, Ashley Johnson (Joe), Alexis Fröling (Maarten), and Arianna Roehrich (Stephen Dent); great nieces and nephews, Addison Cain, Quinn Larson, and Florentijn Fröling; as well as many cousins and friends. Her God children were very special to her; Ashley Johnson, Lisa Cain, and Todd Young.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Gloria (Rude) Roehrich; her brother, Gary Roehrich and her brother-in-law, Larry Larson.

The memorial service will be on Friday, April 4, 2025 at the Cathedral of Our Merciful Savior, 515 2nd Ave NW, Faribault, MN at 11:00 a.m. with visitation at 10 a.m. A luncheon will be held after the service with burial to follow at Maple Lawn Cemetery, 1918 4th St. NW, Faribault, MN.

Memorials in Sue’s name can be sent to Winona Humane Society, Winona Area Public Schools Foundation, or St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winona, MN.

Funeral arrangements are being completed by the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault, MN.