It is with deep sadness, we share the news of the passing of our Mother, Suzy Selvidge, 55, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, March 7, 2021.
Suzy was born to Carl and Gloria Selvidge in Sioux City, Iowa, in the summer of ‘65. She loved her father and mother fiercely; dedicated much of her life to serving with them on the family farm, a safe haven Carl and Gloria had built together before their passing in 2009 and 2019 respectively.
She enjoyed deer seasons with her nephews and cousins, motorcycle rides with her life partner, Teddy Luttrull, critters of every kind and spending time with all of her family. Suzy would tell you that her proudest accomplishment was her two girls, Danica (Josh) LaFaire and Destra Stettler. But if you ask us, she had many.
First, she was the best Grandmother a kid could ask for, from building treehouses to playing make-believe games, reading stories or just having the perfect lap available with a hug to pair, nothing could light up her face more, than spending time with her grandsons, Rory and D’Artanyan.
She taught us the value of hard work. Suzy wasn’t afraid to get out in the field to drive a fence post, build the fence or crawl under a truck to make it run again. She worked overnights at the nail factory and on the farm during the day. When the pipes froze in the winter, she fixed them. Chickens need a house, she built it. Something needed to be done, she found a way. We’re pretty sure “I can’t” wasn’t a phrase our mom knew.
Most of all, she taught us the importance of love. Suzy believed in it so much once, we were in a hurry to get to the bus stop and left the house without saying “I love you” back, she hopped in her car and met us at school before we could even get off of the bus. While we got an earful about never knowing what may happen, we saw just a glimpse that day of how much love Suzy had to give.
Suzy had so much love in her heart.
She loved her siblings, Scott (Debbie) Selvidge, Poppy (David) Norden and Christy (Jef) Fisher through thick and thin. She told us every day while growing up about the importance of being sisters and how we always have to be there for each other. Today, we are the best of friends and the closest of sisters.
Suzy had a big heart. She’d raise motherless baby birds, bottle feed a baby calf for months, check-in with you regularly after a loss of your own or even was just a shoulder to lean on when times were a little rough. Suzy’s final act on this earth was to save two lives with the gift of her kidneys. While a hole is left in our hearts and lives, we are so proud of our mother for always being ready to gift a piece of herself for someone else.
We know there are so many lessons Suzy has taught and stories to share. We invite you to share those and celebrate her life with us over BBQ Sunday, June 6 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Green Oasis, 3431 Kanell Blvd, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901. Prior to the celebration “The Ride of Her Life” procession will leave at 12:30 p.m. from the Holiday Inn Parking Lot in Poplar Bluff. All motorcycles, classic cars and high revving machines welcome. In lieu of flowers, we are accepting donations online and at the event for local animal rescue, Hearts for Rescue, in honor of our mother -- giving her the chance to save lives one more time.