Obituary for Susan Elizabeth "Susie" Hibbs (Schibler)
Susan Elizabeth (Schibler) Hibbs,76, died December 14, 2023 in Springfield, Missouri.
In addition to her parents, Susie was preceded in death by a son, Jonathan, and a brother, David Schibler.
She is survived by her husband Bruce, sons Sam and Luke, five siblings and numerous nieces and nephews.
Susie was born March 13, 1947 in Springfield, Missouri to Bernard J. (Barney) and Bessie Ann Berghaus Schibler. She was a 1965 graduate of St. Agnes High School and attended college at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas and Southwest Missouri State in Springfield, Missouri. After her marriage to Bruce in 1969, they moved to Kansas City area and then Overland Park for many years before moving to Yellville, Arkansas in 2007. Susie worked for many years at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as a statistical clerk before later doing contract work for that same agency.
Susie was fun loving, blessed with a wicked sense of humor, and despite her protestations otherwise, never lost her ironclad integrity.
She was never an imposing woman, about 5’3 and very slight, but she never backed down from her beliefs. Shopping at a flea market years ago, she found several things she was really excited about buying. When she got to the checkout and saw Confederate flags and some Nazi memorabilia displayed there, she laid down her selections and told the owner she couldn’t support anyone who would allow that in their store. Time and again she would speak up, never overly loud or obnoxious, but she always made herself heard.
She started protesting back in the sixties when George Wallace came to town spewing his ugly rhetoric. She engaged in the women’s march after Trump was inaugurated, she participated in many Indivisible protests, and protested at Klan activities in Harrison AR. She always had a pertinent bumper sticker on her car to promote Democrats/equality/diversity without regard to the reaction she would receive in Yellville, Arkansas. Susie worked tirelessly at a local food pantry and never judged anyone for being poor or being different. She simply loved her interactions with the gay community WAY before that was cool. She supported local businesses and always bought CDs from budding blues artists to support and encourage them.
Susie and her husband Bruce were married for 54 years, a wonderful relationship that was filled with love and respect. Bruce was the president of the KC blues society for a while and they both became very involved. She was a huge blues fan who had not one bit of rhythm in her body. But it never kept her from dancing. One of her favorite memories was being at Knuckleheads in KC one night. She got to see some really old jazz divas who were hilariously raunchy, but oh so talented. Then Marcia Ball took the stage. Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas governor at the time and had been Marcia’s roommate in college was also there. The mood was euphoric and Susie and her family were all so hopeful that Obama was going to be elected.
Susie made many trips to the King Biscuit blues festivals. She danced, drank beer with friends and family, camped on the banks of the Mississippi and gave thanks she was lucky enough to be there to experience it.
Susie was always upbeat and generous to a fault. She was super smart, well read, and knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects. For any of you that play Spelling Bee on the NY times website, Susie scored genius every single day.
Susie was always so supportive of family and friends, always with that humor thrown in. She could laugh at herself no matter what she did: whether dribbling food on her shirt or wine on the floor, or sticking her foot in her mouth by being a little too upfront about something. She giggled, she ranted about right wing crazies, and always, always loved her family. Susie absolutely led by example. Be like Susie.
A celebration of life will be held later.
In addition to her parents, Susie was preceded in death by a son, Jonathan, and a brother, David Schibler.
She is survived by her husband Bruce, sons Sam and Luke, five siblings and numerous nieces and nephews.
Susie was born March 13, 1947 in Springfield, Missouri to Bernard J. (Barney) and Bessie Ann Berghaus Schibler. She was a 1965 graduate of St. Agnes High School and attended college at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas and Southwest Missouri State in Springfield, Missouri. After her marriage to Bruce in 1969, they moved to Kansas City area and then Overland Park for many years before moving to Yellville, Arkansas in 2007. Susie worked for many years at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as a statistical clerk before later doing contract work for that same agency.
Susie was fun loving, blessed with a wicked sense of humor, and despite her protestations otherwise, never lost her ironclad integrity.
She was never an imposing woman, about 5’3 and very slight, but she never backed down from her beliefs. Shopping at a flea market years ago, she found several things she was really excited about buying. When she got to the checkout and saw Confederate flags and some Nazi memorabilia displayed there, she laid down her selections and told the owner she couldn’t support anyone who would allow that in their store. Time and again she would speak up, never overly loud or obnoxious, but she always made herself heard.
She started protesting back in the sixties when George Wallace came to town spewing his ugly rhetoric. She engaged in the women’s march after Trump was inaugurated, she participated in many Indivisible protests, and protested at Klan activities in Harrison AR. She always had a pertinent bumper sticker on her car to promote Democrats/equality/diversity without regard to the reaction she would receive in Yellville, Arkansas. Susie worked tirelessly at a local food pantry and never judged anyone for being poor or being different. She simply loved her interactions with the gay community WAY before that was cool. She supported local businesses and always bought CDs from budding blues artists to support and encourage them.
Susie and her husband Bruce were married for 54 years, a wonderful relationship that was filled with love and respect. Bruce was the president of the KC blues society for a while and they both became very involved. She was a huge blues fan who had not one bit of rhythm in her body. But it never kept her from dancing. One of her favorite memories was being at Knuckleheads in KC one night. She got to see some really old jazz divas who were hilariously raunchy, but oh so talented. Then Marcia Ball took the stage. Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas governor at the time and had been Marcia’s roommate in college was also there. The mood was euphoric and Susie and her family were all so hopeful that Obama was going to be elected.
Susie made many trips to the King Biscuit blues festivals. She danced, drank beer with friends and family, camped on the banks of the Mississippi and gave thanks she was lucky enough to be there to experience it.
Susie was always upbeat and generous to a fault. She was super smart, well read, and knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects. For any of you that play Spelling Bee on the NY times website, Susie scored genius every single day.
Susie was always so supportive of family and friends, always with that humor thrown in. She could laugh at herself no matter what she did: whether dribbling food on her shirt or wine on the floor, or sticking her foot in her mouth by being a little too upfront about something. She giggled, she ranted about right wing crazies, and always, always loved her family. Susie absolutely led by example. Be like Susie.
A celebration of life will be held later.