17 Jan Susie Brynjolfson-Meide
Posted at 21:36h
in Uncategorized
by staff
After a courageous battle, our extraordinarily brave, beautiful Susie succumbed to the awful disease of metastatic breast cancer on January 17, 2023, surrounded by her heartbroken family. She leaves behind her husband Joe; parents Morris and Dinah Brynjolfson; mother- in-law Penny Meide; brother Danny Brynjolfson; brother and sister-in-law John and Cheri Brynjolfson with their sons Sean (20) and Ryan (17); her best friend/sister and brother-in-law Patsy and Matt Peyerl and their daughters Elizabeth (21), Katie (18) and Bryn (8). Grateful to be part of her extended family are her aunts and uncles Bernie, Fred, Pat, Dan, Dan and Mary Kay and several cousins, in addition to her life-long friends Marian, Paula, Kelley, Teresa and Sherry.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 4pm on Friday, January 20, 2023, at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, ND. Visitation will be held Thursday, January 19, 2023, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm, with a Vigil Service and a traditional wake to celebrate Susie’s life starting at 7pm.
Susie was born on December 25, 1964, to Morris and Dinah in Minot, ND. She was a blessed gift to her parents on that Christmas day. After moving to Bismarck early in her life, Susie graduated from St. Mary’s Central High School in 1983. Upon graduation, she earned her degree in Spanish from Marquette University and then a master’s degree in Spanish from Colorado State.
Susie began teaching Spanish at Century High School in 1991 and her life’s devotion to teaching began. Susie loved her students and colleagues at Century where she proudly taught thousands of kids over 31 years and for many years was the chair of the Foreign Language Department. Because of her experience, enthusiasm, professionalism, and reputation as a teacher, Susie served many years as a teacher’s mentor for Bismarck Public Schools. She was recognized with the NEA Award for Teaching Excellence in 2016. Shouts of “Senora B” would echo throughout Bismarck whenever she saw her students out and about in the community. During her brief illness, the only thing that caused tears to fall from her eyes was losing the ability to teach her students.
In 1992, Susie met her companion and soulmate Joe Meide, later marrying on November 25, 2005, beginning their lifelong adventure together. Joe’s lifelong friends quickly adopted Susie as one of their own. Susie and Joe valued these friends like family. Susie loved to travel alongside Joe as they ventured to many national parks, and she led several student trips to Spanish speaking countries. Many summer days you could find them out on the river, navigating the classic car shows where Joe would show his latest remodeled vehicle, or tending to her flowers around the yard. They were honored to be godparents to their nieces and nephews, along with their friends’ children. Family was the most important thing to Susie. She enjoyed family get-togethers with her Lynch and Strandemo cousins and loved watching Fighting Irish football games with her dad and family.
Susie was a second mother and champion to her “Shining Stars”: Elizabeth at Notre Dame, Sean at Cornell, Katie at NDSU, Ryan at Century High, and her “Petunia”/”Little Turkey” Bryn at Cathedral Elementary. She was so proud to cheer on her nieces and nephews in all their sports, academic activities, and accomplishments.
She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents Glenn and Susie Brynjolfson and her maternal grandparents Dan and Agatha Mitzel.
Joe and Susie’s family would like to thank the team of doctors, nurses, and staff at Sanford Health who cared for our sweet Susie over the course of the last several weeks, and whose compassion and skill will always be remembered.
To view the funeral service, please click here
