Dora Suzanne Ziemer

Dora "Suzy" Ziemer, 91 of Hoffman, died Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at Autumn Cottages Assisted Living in Alexandria. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, December 27, 2024, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Hoffman with visitation starting one hour prior.

Dora Suzanne Olsen was born April 10, 1933. She was the youngest of the six children born to Allie and Meda (Bell) Olsen. She was named after her Grandma Susan ElDora Bell. Grandma Bell had gone by the name of Dora so the baby was called Suzy.

She grew up in the small town of Donnelly, Minnesota and was adored by her older sisters. She was a cheerleader, chosen as homecoming queen and was the valedictorian of her graduating class of 1951 of Alberta High School. She attended secretarial school in Minneapolis. 

Raymond (Bud) Ziemer and Suzy met at a teen Sunday School class held at Konsvinger Church rural Donnelly. They married in September of 1952. They lived most of their married life on the homestead previously owned by Bud’s mother’s family west of Hoffman. They had four children born between 1956 and 1960. There was farming and growing vegetables and cows and a couple pigs and sometimes geese and ducks and dogs and cats and even a parakeet, along with the kids to tend to. It was a busy but good life.

When the kids were older and more self-sufficient, Suzy began work as a secretary at Hoffman Public Schools. She held that position for many years. She later worked on main street in a clothing store and a grocery store and at a vendors market gallery. Her last employment was in the housekeeping department at the Barrett Care Center. She had many good friends from every job she held.

As they grew older, Bud and Suzy began renting an apartment at North Star Manor in Hoffman to stay in during the winter months and eventually, they lived there year round. Suzy had suffered a small stroke some years earlier and had a second major stroke event in 2014. The result of those strokes was the loss of peripheral vision in her left eye and increased memory loss issues. When Bud became ill in the summer of 2019, and because Suzy would not be comfortable living alone, they moved to Rolling Hills Assisted Living in Barrett. Bud passed way a short time later. Suzy stayed there for four more years. On October 2nd, Suzy fell and broke her hip and had replacement surgery. Unfortunately, her physical and mental health declined rapidly after that. Suzy was at the Barrett Care Center until just before Thanksgiving when she transferred to the Autumn Cottages Memory Care facility in Alexandria. She was there until her death on December 17th.

Suzy enjoyed music and sang in the church choir. She was a fabulous cook and baker and could prepare a great meal for any number of people without any advanced planning. She loved gardening and had many beautiful flower beds. She especially enjoyed hostas and had LOTS of different varieties. 

Dora Suzanne Olsen Ziemer was preceded in death by her parents; her five siblings: Evelyn Hollenbeck, Gayle Schultz, Vesta Wachs, John Wallace Olsen, Mary Louise Olsen; her husband, Raymond; and son-in-law, Doug Knapp. 

She is survived by and will be greatly missed by her children, Sue (Bob) Grantham of Moorhead, MN, Ginny Knapp of Inver Grove Heights, MN, Steve (Laura) of Alexandria, MN, Mike (Lori) Ziemer of Elk River; 11 grandchildren living across the nation in Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Arizona and California; and 6 great-grandchildren that loved their Grandma Suzy dearly. Suzy was the last of her generation in the Olsen family and will be missed by many nieces and nephews and their spouses from that branch of the family tree. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Helen Jackson of Connecticut, her three children and their families. 

Memorials in Suzy’s name preferred to Messiah Lutheran Church of Hoffman.