Susan Alysa Hemenway was born March 3, 1944, the first child of four, of Paul and Lillian Mercier in New York City. She went home to be with the Lord at 1:07 a.m. on March 1, 2022.

The family attended St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, the oldest Lutheran Church in North America, and Susan was baptized there. She and her siblings grew up in Manhattan and attended Lutheran Schools during her elementary years. When she was a teenager the family moved to Richland, Wash., so her father could pursue his career as a nuclear engineer.

After graduating from Richland High (the Bombers), she attended Concordia University in Portland, Ore., for two years where she would meet Bill Hemenway, the love of her life.

Then she graduated from Concordia University in River Forest, Ill., in 1965 with a B.A. in education. After graduation she taught third, fourth, and fifth grades and played the organ for all the worship services plus directed several choirs at Immanuel Lutheran Chapel in St. Louis, Missouri.

She and Bill were married on Aug. 27, 1966. Sue would often playfully say, “What are the odds of a New York City slicker marrying a South Dakota farm boy? Must have been a God thing!” And after 55 years of Christ centered bliss … It sure was!

Bill received his first assignment from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis to Zion Lutheran Church in Bethalto, Ill., in 1967 where Sue taught in public schools in the Bethalto area for two years. Sue and Bill remained in the Bethalto area until 1975 when Bill took a call to Christ the King Lutheran Church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

At this time in her life Susan took a twelve year hiatus from teaching to be a full-time mom to Paul (born in 1968) and Mark (born in 1970). She resumed teaching in the public school system when the boys were in their middle school years teaching sixth grade in the Post Falls School District at Seltice Elementary school until 1994.

In 1975, Susan and Bill moved to Coeur d’Alene when he became Pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church. They lived in the Coeur d’Alene area for 19 years and then moved to Costa Mesa, Calif., where she taught in the middle school of Christ Lutheran Church and School of Costa Mesa.

To this day former students from Idaho and California will approach her in the street and give her a giant hug and a warm “thank you” for what she did for them in the classroom, some now have school age children and grandchildren of their own! Whether in public or in Lutheran classrooms Susan’s goal was to do the very best for her students.

A much underappreciated fact about Susan is that she had a second career beyond being a great teacher and mom. When she’d get home after an exhausting day in the classroom, she put on her hat as a secretary, counselor, and answering service (some call it being a Pastor’s wife!), until about midnight every day of the week. A good Reference volume in any school library ought to have a category called “A unique unrepeatable miracle of God” and Susan’s picture would be by the article.

Survivors include: Husband: Pastor Bill Hemenway, Sons: Paul (Karen) and Mark (Trayce), three siblings: Paul (Ilona), Philip (Diana), Judith (Joe), six grandchildren: Christian, Summer, Elyse, Matthew, Jacob, Sophia and numerous nieces and nephews.

God gave Susan the Grace to live in this world of ours for 77 years, 11 month, and 29 days. Now may He grant us the grace to accept this as His Holy Will.

The celebration of life will be at 2 p.m. Friday, March 11, at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. A reception will follow the service in the Christ the King Lutheran Church Gymnasium. Yates Funeral Home is entrusted with the care of final arrangements. Please visit Susan’s memorial and sign her online guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com

Memorial contributions may be made to the Susan Hemenway scholarship fund for the Christ the King Early Learning Center, 1700 E Pennsylvania Ave., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814.