1925
Sue
2014
Sue Wrolstad
July 10, 1925 — August 17, 2014
Dorothy Sue Parkins Wrolstad
Sue Wrolstad, who died on August 17, 2014, was an educator, a woman of faith and a loving person who made all around her smile. She was born on July 10, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of Ralph and Edna Parkins. Sue graduated from the University of Wyoming, where she met her future husband, in 1946. She and Merald E. Wrolstad were married on June 7, 1947. Sue and Merald had two daughters, Amy, born in 1949, and Signe, born in 1952; and a son, Jay, born in 1955.
The family moved to Cleveland in 1959, when Merald took a job with the Cleveland Museum of Art. Sue received her master's degree in education in 1964 from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and began a long career of teaching at Laurel School, primarily the fifth grade, in 1965. She was later named head of Laurel's middle school before returning to the classroom as a math and history teacher in the middle school for her final years at Laurel, where she taught for 26 years.
Sue was a seasoned evaluator for the National Association of Independent Schools, traveling around the country to ensure schools had the teaching environment and provided a climate for educational rigor. She was active in the Northfield Conference for Girls and served in many roles at Grace Lutheran Church, including Sunday school teacher and as a member of call committees for new ministers at the church.
Sue enjoyed traveling, taking several trips to Europe with Merald and spending a year in London, England, with the family. She also spent many summers, starting in 1950, on Holy Island in Wisconsin, where she had many close friends.
In her retirement Sue was active in Senior Scholars, ACE, Grace Lutheran Church, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries and the Cleveland Public Library book sales. She loved to meet with other retired Laurel teachers to reminisce about their years at the school and the delight they took in teaching Laurel girls.
Many of her former students are on record as saying, "Mrs. Wrolstad is my all time favorite teacher!"
Sue is survived by her children, Amy W. Burger (James) of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Signe Wrolstad Forbes (Casey) of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and Jay P. Wrolstad of Ithaca, New York; grandchilren Parkins Terry Burger (Lisa), and Catherine Rogers Burger Staffieri (Brett); Alexander Wrolstad Forbes and Julia Finne Forbes; Gunnar Merald Wrolstad; and great-grandchildren William Roland Staffieri and Rockwell Alfonzo Forbes.
Memorial contributions in her name may be made to Laurel School, 1 Lyman Circle, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122. Friends may call at Brown-Forward, 17022 Chagrin Boulevard in Shaker Heights, on Saturday, August 30, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. with a brief celebration of her life beginning at 3:30 p.m.
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Sue Wrolstad, who died on August 17, 2014, was an educator, a woman of faith and a loving person who made all around her smile. She was born on July 10, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of Ralph and Edna Parkins. Sue graduated from the University of Wyoming, where she met her future husband, in 1946. She and Merald E. Wrolstad were married on June 7, 1947. Sue and Merald had two daughters, Amy, born in 1949, and Signe, born in 1952; and a son, Jay, born in 1955.
The family moved to Cleveland in 1959, when Merald took a job with the Cleveland Museum of Art. Sue received her master's degree in education in 1964 from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and began a long career of teaching at Laurel School, primarily the fifth grade, in 1965. She was later named head of Laurel's middle school before returning to the classroom as a math and history teacher in the middle school for her final years at Laurel, where she taught for 26 years.
Sue was a seasoned evaluator for the National Association of Independent Schools, traveling around the country to ensure schools had the teaching environment and provided a climate for educational rigor. She was active in the Northfield Conference for Girls and served in many roles at Grace Lutheran Church, including Sunday school teacher and as a member of call committees for new ministers at the church.
Sue enjoyed traveling, taking several trips to Europe with Merald and spending a year in London, England, with the family. She also spent many summers, starting in 1950, on Holy Island in Wisconsin, where she had many close friends.
In her retirement Sue was active in Senior Scholars, ACE, Grace Lutheran Church, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries and the Cleveland Public Library book sales. She loved to meet with other retired Laurel teachers to reminisce about their years at the school and the delight they took in teaching Laurel girls.
Many of her former students are on record as saying, "Mrs. Wrolstad is my all time favorite teacher!"
Sue is survived by her children, Amy W. Burger (James) of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Signe Wrolstad Forbes (Casey) of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and Jay P. Wrolstad of Ithaca, New York; grandchilren Parkins Terry Burger (Lisa), and Catherine Rogers Burger Staffieri (Brett); Alexander Wrolstad Forbes and Julia Finne Forbes; Gunnar Merald Wrolstad; and great-grandchildren William Roland Staffieri and Rockwell Alfonzo Forbes.
Memorial contributions in her name may be made to Laurel School, 1 Lyman Circle, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122. Friends may call at Brown-Forward, 17022 Chagrin Boulevard in Shaker Heights, on Saturday, August 30, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. with a brief celebration of her life beginning at 3:30 p.m.
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