Susan “Suz” Mae SmolikHagen
October 19, 1970 – July 8, 2024
Susan Mae Smolik was born in Osage, Iowa in October of 1970. Her dad was working in the field when her mom went into labor, so her mom had to fetch him. He rushed her to the hospital and then went down the street to his brother’s to wash up. He came back 15 minutes later and the nurse handed him his daughter as he walked in. He told her she couldn’t be his, but she assured him that she indeed was. Suz was in a hurry to begin making her mark on the world!
She began that mark-making in the barn, singing to the cats (“Delta Dawn” was a favorite that carried over to her karaoke days in college). She continued Mark-making showing sheep in 4-H. Later in high school – while riding her moped, Bessie, the 15 miles to town – Suz made an impact in National Honor Society, as co-captain of the volleyball team, as a thrower and hurdler in track, as Miss Osage and Miss Congeniality at the Iowa State Fair, and as an Iowa representative to the American Legion Girls Nation in DC.
She went on to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa where she majored in English education, traveled to the Middle East, threw shot and discus in track, and met her future husband David Hagen. After graduation, she became a high school English teacher in Freeport, Illinois – the home of the Pretzels.
On April 9th, 1994, Suz and Dave were married and became the first “SmolikHagens”. Together they bought and remodeled their first home, and had their first of four litters of miniature schnauzer puppies.
Her experience at Freeport inspired Suz to pursue her Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Iowa.
They bought a new house in North Liberty and their daughter Meg was born. As a baby, Meg joined her mother in the lecture halls and was often passed around in the classroom.
After graduating, the family moved back to the Waverly area and purchased a house in Shell Rock to remodel. Suz joined the staff of AEA7 (which later became AEA267 and then Central Rivers). It was after her first year there that Anna, their second daughter, joined the family.
Suz missed the country life, so she and Dave agreed on their next big adventure – building a house on nineteen acres outside of Janesville, Iowa. About four years into the (ongoing) construction project, the family’s best surprise, Gabe, came along. After 12 years living on gravel roads, raising two litters of puppies, caring for three different horses, and growing acres of organic soybeans, hay, and corn, they moved back into town (Waverly).
During her tenure at the AEA, Suz worked at Valley Park and Castle Hill as well as in the Allison-Bristow and Waverly-Shell Rock school districts. Two years ago, after encouragement from many of the teachers and principals she worked with, she went back to school to get her Professional Administrator’s License. She completed a 2-year program in a year and two summers and was hired to be the principal of the Shell Rock and Margaretta Carey Elementary Schools last year.
She just completed her first year, overseeing the move of Shell Rock to North Ridge and back to Shell Rock and Carey to Prairie West – all on a needing-to-be-replaced, worn-out hip. She was really looking forward to a year with two schools in permanent locations – and a new hip.
She loved a good cup of coffee (always with cream) and a good book. She read the Chronicles of Narnia and Eragon series to the kids when they were younger. She also loved listening to music. Frank Sinatra was a favorite, and each child has a song by him, that she picked out for them.
Suz enjoyed attending her children’s activities such as Meg’s horse shows, Gabe’s and Anna’s Orchestra concerts, soccer games, cross country meets, and watching them all play in the WSR Marching Band.
Suz had an infectious smile and laugh, loved her dogs like her children, enjoyed traveling (as long as it included sun, a lounge chair, and water), and more than anything, she enjoyed helping people. That is how she made the biggest mark on the world – by working tirelessly to help kids, teachers, parents – everyone around her – succeed.
Just after a hip replacement and a week-long vacation in northern Georgia, she and Gabe stayed an extra night at a hotel in Atlanta. In her sleep, Suz peacefully left this world to meet her Savior Jesus Christ.
She is survived by her husband, Dave, daughters Meg (and husband, David) McAloon, and Anna (and boyfriend, Severin Anderson), son Gabe, parents Jane and Allen Smolik, mother-in-law Jill Hagen, sisters Robertta (Gary) Huffman and Mary Jo (Rich) Johnson, brother Chris (Lynne) Carroll, sister-in-law Sara (Kelly) Schraeder, and 8 nieces and 5 nephews. She was preceded in death by her four grandparents, oldest sister Mindy, and father-in-law Lee.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.
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