Susan L. “Ladyhawke” Hulvey, 64, of Clinton Illinois, passed from this life at her home, surrounded by her loved ones, listening to her favorite songs, following her battle with cancer on April 9, 2020.

 

Services will be held at a later date with Jim Kilson officiating due to the COVID – 19 pandemic. The family entrusted Calvert Funeral Home, Clinton, IL with arrangements.

 

In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to the Susie Hulvey Memorial Fund.

 

Susan was born on January 16, 1956 to Paul and Mary (Wilson) O’Neill . She was a graduate of Clinton Community High School and Continued her education at the University of Illinois.

 

Susan married Donald W Hulvey on April 9, 1979 in Little Rock Arkansas.

 

She worked alongside her husband at their business Hulvey Plumbing for 30 years. She was an avid outdoorswoman, gardener, traveler, friend and Mimi.

 

Susan is survived by husband Don, daughters Laura (Dave) Zarecki and Ashley (Derek) Rogers, grandchildren Tristan Rogers, Colton Zarecki, Mia Rogers, and Brooke Zarecki, all of Clinton, and in-laws Roy and Dee Strohkirch, Dewitt, sister-in-law, Rose (Jeff) Overleese, Cindy (Ross) Dillion, Debbie Strohkrich, nieces, Lyn (Brett) Carter, Anna (Jason) Torrence, and nephew, Drew Dillion.

 

She was preceded in death by her parents and William Strohkrich.

 

Susan attended the Lane Christian Church, and was a member of the NRA, the NMLRA, the Leroy Rifle and Pistol Club, the Prairie Land Frontiersmen Blackpowder Organization, the Barehanded Wolfchokers, and the Widowmakers.

 

There are all sorts of people in this world. It's as though there's a scale from 0 to 100 and each of us is somewhere along that line, endeavoring to reach the perfect person God intended us to be. Some people work hard at it. Some, not so much. And some have given up.

 

As we journey down the many paths our lives take us, we meet lots of people along the way. If we're lucky, we get to meet very special people who live their lives near the top of that scale. If we're really, really blessed, we get to be their friend.

Many of us were blessed to know Susie Hulvey. She was one of those people. Always happy, always smiling, always ready with a warm, friendly greeting. She asked about you and truly cared about how you were doing. She walked closely with the Lord and it showed in every aspect of her life. And it wasn't because her life was perfect or that she was unfamiliar with pain, hardship or suffering. She had plenty of that.

 

Raised as an only child by parents who loved her but didn't know God and wanted to protect her from everything, she was encouraged to concentrate on her appearance and femininity. Sequestered from the real world, she was socially distanced and isolated from the normal teenage life of slumber parties and hanging out with friends..

 

But then she met Donny Hulvey. From that moment on her life and, as a result, all of our lives, were forever changed.

 

She learned to shoot guns, bait hooks, throw tomahawks and primitive camp. She was introduced to Jesus, the Bible, and became the person she was always meant to be  The perfect little beauty queen now lived in the country, raised chickens, baked bread, sewed, gardened, canned fruits and vegetables and could shoot a squirrel, skin it, cook it up for dinner, get dressed up in heels and pearls and shoot a coyote from her car on the way down the driveway all in one day! She became a mother and raised her daughters the way she wished she'd grown up.

 

From her husband, Donnie, her kids and grandkids, her beloved dog Gus, her hosting and entertaining, blackpowder shooting competitions and hunting, Susie was all in. She was never content at doing anything part way. She worked and worked at it until she was the best. Their home is filled with plaques, awards, prizes and thousands of pictures to attest to her amazing skills.

But even this doesn't fully describe her. What Susie was best at was love. She loved life. She loved God. She loved her family and friends. She loved people she didn't even know. And she loved with every ounce of her being. When faced with cancer over 30 years ago she laid her life down before God and asked for His strength and mercy. Together they fought it and won. From that moment on Susie found her voice. She sang like an angel. She sang for the Lord. She wrote mountains of notes to others who were suffering to encourage them, to brighten their day, to let them know they weren't alone, they were stronger than they knew, and she was praying for them.

 

Her faithfulness to God, her husband, daughters, family and friends is the beautiful, lasting gift she left us all with. Her physical body is gone from our sight, but her sweet, kind smile, her twinkling eyes, her gentle manner, and her boundless love will never be. It will live on forever in all of us whose lives were forever changed by having known her. Her wish would be that we would pass it on to others and be the best that we can be.

 

Her life here didn't last nearly long enough, but she made it count. She lived it to the fullest while she was here.  Now she sings with the angels, goes on quiet, reflective walks with Jesus in perfect forests, abundant with wildlife and clear, cool streams filled with never-ending love and light.

 

Susie will no doubt be missed by many, but her and her life will be the topic of discussions for years to come. Keeping our family and friend's memories alive is the highest tribute that we can pay them. There will be many more tears shed for Susie, but hopefully they will be softened by her laughter, her smile and her genuine love of life.

 

Thank you, Lord, for sharing Susie with all of us. Until we meet again…