Suzanne Gutknecht

Suzanne “Sue” Gutknecht, 85, of Albert Lea, passed away July 1, 2020 at the St. John’s Lutheran Community on Fountain Lake.

Memorial Mass will be Friday, July 31, 2020 at 2:00 PM at St. Theodore Catholic Church in Albert Lea, with public visitation from 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM at the church. Burial will be private. Masks will be required while in the church for both the visitation and for the mass. Please follow social distancing guidelines and the family will have some masks available.

Suzanne was born October 6, 1934 to Alvin And Margretta (Ryan) Lane in Waterloo, Iowa, the oldest of 5 children. She attended school at Waterloo West High School and eventually received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI with a major in Speech and English.

Sue spent a few years living in San Francisco while Art served time in the Army overseas. They were married on November 26, 1960 in Waterloo, IA and together raised their five children.

In 1972 the family moved to make Albert Lea their home.  Sue enjoyed time being at home educating and teaching the value of a good book to her children. Later in life she became a travel agent and worked with All Continents Travel in Albert Lea for over 15 years.

Traveling and spending time at their home in Cape Coral Florida with family brought Sue great joy. She enjoyed every moment spent with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed sewing and cross stitching. Sue was a talented pianist and she also played guitar in the church choir at St. Theodore’s for many years. Her circle of friends, including her book club and birthday club groups, were very special to her over the years.

Education and learning was something Sue valued for herself and was proud to pass along to her children and grandchildren. Her humble spirit and passion for education was a blessing to many and she will be remembered for her fierce loyalty to the ones she loved.

Sue is survived by one son, Scott (Joni) Gutknecht of Merrifield, MN and children: Megan (Thor) Greengard and Erin; and three daughters: Anne (Mike) Schreck of Cedar Falls, IA and children: Anthony, Alexander, Caitlin (Adam) Faris, and Lisa; Julie (Don) Savelkoul of Albert Lea, MN and children: Sarah, Hannah, and Michael; and Amy (Steve)  Nelson of Rochester, MN and children: Emily, Clare, and Samuel. Sue is also survived by her late daughter’s partner, Dr. Ann Kools, of Minneapolis, MN; two brothers, Mike (Mary) Lane, of Knoxville, IA, and Tim Lane of Des Moines, IA; and sister, Pat (Jim) Cain of Waterloo, IA.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur; parents, Alvin and Margretta; daughter, Sarah Gutknecht and sister, Betty Schrock.

Donations in honor of Sue are preferred to the Albert Lea Education Foundation or donor’s choice.