Susan Beitel King

Susan Beitel King, 62, passed away peacefully at home with her family at her side, on Friday, June 2, 2017, after an eighteen-month battle with glioblastoma (brain) cancer. Susie was born April 28, 1955, to Miriam and Howard Beitel, in Moline. She graduated from Moline Senior High School in 1973, earned a BA in art from Elmhurst College and finally a horticulture degree from Black Hark College. The First Congregational Church has lost a dear friend and a loving weaver of the church’s fabric. From the corridor-long New Testament mural she painted, to the trinity of oaks she planted out front, she has left tangible proof of her love for the church. Families knew they could trust Susie with the care of their young children on Sunday mornings. Some of those kids grew into young adults who trusted their own children to Susie’s care. Her grandfather helped build the church and her dedication to the church would have made him proud. Her parents preceded Susie in death. Two young men she launched into the world, Evin and Glen Wick, a niece and nephew, Erin and Christopher Beitel, a sister and brother, Pat and Ashley Beitel, and their spouses, Dave Hawk and Joyce, survive Susie. She also leaves behind a loving husband, John Christian (Chris) King, a man she found and fell in love with in North Carolina. She loved him enough to forgive his Tarheel fanaticism; he loved her enough to move back to Moline, where they were married August 27, 1983. Having learned from one of the premier landscape architects in North Carolina, Susie opened Snowhill Landscape Design in Moline. Already an accomplished artist, landscapes became her canvases. The southwestern hillside border of Riverside Cemetery is one such canvas. Susie will be remembered by so many as their generous and loving friend. Beginning with her best friend forever, Sarah, whom she met in Kindergarten, to the Hospice caregivers she won over in the final months of her life, Susie’s family is grateful for all the visits and support she received during her illness. The funeral will take place at the First Congregational Church in Moline on Saturday, June 24th at 10:00 a.m. A visitation at the Wendt Funeral Home in Moline will be held Friday, June 23rd from 5 to 7:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to The First Congregational Church’s Red Wagon Day Care, Moline Little League, or Rescued (benefiting injured and homeless pets) in Moline.

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