Archive: Opinions

I went to a memorial service for Susan Rosenkoetter on Wednesday.  Susan passed away September 12th, and I have been missing her.  The thing that really stuck in my mind Wednesday was that the pastor said that talking about Susan keeps her alive and passes on the blessings she brought to the Lansing community.  So I decided to do that in this column this week.

In my opinion Susan was one of the most important people in Lansing.  She was all about reading and literacy, and there wasn't a kid in the Lansing schools who didn't know who the 'Book lady' was.  She was really smart.  She didn't just give away books or just read stories to young people.  She figured out the whole package: she did read to kids, and she did give thousands of books to the school libraries, the Lansing Community Library, teachers, and kids.

Then she took it to the next level and paid for Lansing teachers to attend literacy conferences where they could meet authors and stay up to date.  This insured that generations of students would have teachers who are better prepared to give them the best of the best in English and literature education.

But she didn't leave it at that.  She also paid for authors to come to the Lansing schools where they would interact with teachers and students alike, talk about the creative process, and give insight into the profession of writing as well.

I first met Susan when I went to cover a Lansing Community Library 'Summer Reading Program' event about five years ago.  My first impression was that she could be a character in a book herself.  Nurturing and encouraging to the children, she also stayed exactly on point as she encouraged them to love reading as she did.  Since then I saw her read to kids on countless occasions at the library, in the schools, and even at Baker's Acres during their fall festival events.

Susan was a shameless promoter.  She would call me to tell me when a reading event would be happening and left me in no doubt that I should be there to report on it.  The more people that knew about these events, the more would be interested in reading, or bringing their kids to the next events.  It was all about getting kids to love to read.

I found her irresistible.  I couldn't come to every event, but I wanted to and came to as many as I could.  And writing about Susan and the things she did was easy.  Behind the kindly book lady's exterior was an interior that was focused clearly on her mission with a warmth and generosity that is unmatched by anyone else I have ever known.

I try to teach my kids to judge people by their deeds, not their words.  Susan was all about deeds.  Making the world better was her passion, her hobby, and a huge part of her life.  Susan's deeds were all about words and how they are put together to make a difference, and how a love of reading opens up the world in fascinating and unexpected, glorious ways.  She made the world and books seem wonderful.  Her enthusiasm radiated and you couldn't help but feel the warmth of that glow.


She was the dynamo behind local reading events, and she would always draw in teachers and others to help with them.  Then she would give them all the credit.  I remember one occasion when she was sitting at the sign in table doing just that while behind her back her helpers were miming to me that Susan was actually the force behind the event.

All the donations Susan made were in memory of her mother.  One of the speakers Wednesday noted that some books have been donated to Lansing schools in Susan's memory and how sad it is that the book plate has had to be changed from her mother's name to her own.

Actually, I think that means that Susan's legacy will last a lot longer than that of most of us.  Donating books in her name means that generations far beyond the ones she touched will benefit from her love of reading and her one-woman crusade to pass on that love.  The work she did with Lansing teachers will do the same.  Lansing isn't less fortunate now that Susan is gone, because she arranged her legacy in a way that would have the most positive impact for the longest possible amount of time.  Well, it is because we miss her, but the impact of her life has touched so many of us, and it will touch many more.

That was really smart, and that's why I admire her so much.  But I can't finish this without saying that Susan was simply delightful.  Even when she was promoting something she was doing she was a bit shy about it.  Her bubbly enthusiasm was impossible to resist.  I always felt happier after seeing Susan or talking to her on the phone.  And while I am very sad that she has passed away, I still feel happier writing this and just thinking about her and all she did for the community.  Especially for our kids.

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