Sue Mortl

"Sue Mortl" IRON MOUNTAIN - Sue Mortl, 91, of 500 E. Smith St. in Iron Mountain, passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 27, 2005, at her home with her children and grandchildren at her bedside. She was born on July 25, 1914, in Whiting, Ind., daughter of the late Andrew and Mary Benko. She met and married Fred Mortl in Chicago back in 1939. Moving back to the Iron Mountain area as a young bride, she started raising her family. They were blessed with seven lovely children. Sue worked at General Controls, Perfex, and Hancock Wood Products while raising her family. She enjoyed the outdoors, especially time spent with the family. Berry picking, vegetable gardening, canning, sewing, and cooking were a few of her favorite pastimes. But the one thing she really got a joy from was playing a marble game called Wahoo. When out-of-town family came home, the old Wahoo board would be on the dining room table and the game would sometimes go on for hours and hours. The Lord blessed Sue with relatively good health. In fact, on her 88th birthday, she took a ride on a Harley Davidson motorcycle with her grandson Richie. This past November, she was diagnosed with failing kidneys and congestive heart failure. She battled these two health problems with the help of her children at the family home. She fought a courageous battle for 11 months and went to be with the Lord on this date of Oct. 27. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred, in July 8, 1993, and by her brothers, Emil, John, and Andy, Mike and Joe Benko, and a sister, Sophie Sass. She is survived by her seven children; Phylis (Chuck) Williams of Norway, Mary Ann Anderson (Peter Behnke) of Green Bay, Wis., Jean (Ken) LaBelle of LaGrange, Ill., Judy (Don) Bouffiou of Frankville, Wis., Fred (Lana) Mortel of Iron Mountain, Bob (Monica) Mortel of Escanaba and Rich (Jan) Mortl of Escanaba;16 grandchildren, Connie, Colleen, Tom, Debbie, Susie, Mike, Michelle, Cindy, Jim, Annette, Jennifer, Fred, Marc, Richard, Tina and Tammy; and 31 great-grandchildren. Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home in Iron Mountain. The funeral service will be on Monday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Rev. David Anderson will officiate. Burial will be in Cemetery Park. The grandchildren will serve as pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Kidney Foundation or the American Red Cross-Hurricane Katrina victims. Condolences may expressed to the family of Sue Mortl online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the funeral arrangements.

Sue Mortl

July 25, 1914 - October 27, 2005