STAFFORD - Susan “Sue” Thole, 91, died Monday, October 18, 2021 at Leisure Homestead, Stafford. Born September 5, 1930 at Eureka she was the daughter of Wilbur and Sarah Cronk Soule. In 1949 she graduated from Emporia Kansas State Teacher’s College and taught 5th grade at Stafford Elementary from 1949-51. Sue was an active 4-H Leader teaching knitting and sewing and juding knitting and crochet at the State Fair. She taught tatting, sewing, crocheting and knitting nearly all of her life and for 20 years donated tatting to the Kansas Land Improvement Association Scholarship Auction. In 1966 she received the Public Relations award from the Cooperative Extension Service. Sue was in the Extension Homemaker Unit and was Happy Homemaker’s longest member. In 2014 she was awarded the KLICA’s Woman of the Year. She was an active member of the Stafford United Methodist Church and was a longtime Sunday School teacher. She helped with the church bazaar for many years making chicken and noodles, apple pies, apple butter, breads and cinnamon rolls. She was a 7th generation direct descendant of the pilgrim, George Soule who was an indentured servant that came over on the Mayflower in 1620 and signed the Mayflower compact.
On November 25, 1951 she married Harold Thole. He died February 17, 2013.
She is survived by her children: Murray (Mary) Thole, Gregory Thole and Paula (Robin) Figgs.
Siblings: Joan Talkington, Thedda Olson, Jerry Soule, Karen Nordmeyer, Sharon Urton and Richard Soule.
Grandchildren: Jason (Tara) Thole, Karen (John) Peters, Alicia (Jesse) Julian, Hannah (Jack) Figgs-Hoard, Miranda (Keith) Edwards
Six great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by daughter: Cheryl Kelley. Siblings: Bertha Erickson, Betty Uhl, Eleanor Tucker, Phyllis Enos, Merle Soule, William Soule, Florence Sellers, Carol and Sandra Soule.
Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, October 30 at Minnis Chapel, Stafford. Burial will be at the Feldhut Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday 1-7 p.m. with the family receiving friends 5-7 p.m. at Minnis Chapel. Memorials can be made to the Kansas Land Improvement Contractors Association Scholarship Fund in care of the chapel.