FLIGNER, SUZANNE COSANDEY SCHIESS age 101, died July 3, 2013 in Albuquerque. Born in 1912 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, to Swiss immigrant parents, Jacob Schiess and Julie Cosandai Schiess, she was the middle of five children and grew up on a dairy farm. After graduating from teachers college at the age of 16, she taught in a one-room school, supporting herself and sending money home to her family. During World War II, she was a flight instrument instructor for the Army Air Corps at Chanute Field, Illinois, where she met and married her husband, Oscar M. Fligner, in 1943. They moved to Albuquerque in 1948, and Suzanne worked at Sandia Labs until 1951. They were married nearly 61 years, when Oscar died in 2004. Suzanne was always interested in the world and enthusiastically embraced life. She was an involved mom, and made sure that her three daughters learned to sew, swim, play music, and dance. She raised them to be independent and strong women who were able to take care of themselves, and encouraged them in their educational and professional endeavors. When the girls went to high school, she went back to school to get her real estate broker's license, working in several Albuquerque real estate offices and then opening her own business, Fligner Realty. After she retired, she continued her loves of reading, sewing, investing, and traveling. She became an expert on nutrition and healthy eating long before it was popular, and was an award winning baker at the New Mexico State Fair, where she also enjoyed attending the horse races and trying to pick the winning horse. She enjoyed her friends at Manzano del Sol, where she had lived since 2004, and was an active bridge player and exercise class participant (and instructor) until 3 years prior to her death. She was never happier than when she was able to spend time with her children and their families and friends. Suzanne is survived by three daughters, Corinne Fligner (Mark Wener), Seattle WA, Denise Fligner (Terry Edwards), Albuquerque, and Sharon Fligner-Lindquist (Ray Lindquist), of Richmond, VA; five grandchildren, Leah Wener-Fligner, Zach Wener-Fligner, Morgan Edwards-Fligner, Edward Lindquist, and Suzanne (Suzi) Lindquist; one niece and two nephews, and grand and great-grand nephews and nieces. Her remains will be interred with Oscar's at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Special thanks for their care, kindness, and love, to her wonderful companion-caregivers for the last few years, Rosie Jones and Carrie Ann Maes, and to Mary Romero and Patricia Gallegos, who helped out in the last few months when mom needed extra care. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation, PO Box 25792, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87125 (abqlibraryfoundation.org) to benefit the Tony Hillerman Library, where all the Fligners spent much time.
FLIGNER, SUZANNE COSANDEY SCHIESS age 101, died July 3, 2013 in Albuquerque. Born in 1912 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, to Swiss immigrant parents, Jacob Schiess and Julie Cosandai Schiess, she was the middle of five children and grew up on a dairy farm. After graduating from teachers college at the age of 16, she taught in a one-room school, supporting herself and sending money home to her family. During World War II, she was a flight instrument instructor for the Army Air Corps at Chanute Field, Illinois, where she met and married her husband, Oscar M. Fligner, in 1943. They moved to Albuquerque in 1948, and Suzanne worked at Sandia Labs until 1951. They were married nearly 61 years, when Oscar died in 2004. Suzanne was always interested in the world and enthusiastically embraced life. She was an involved mom, and made sure that her three daughters learned to sew, swim, play music, and dance. She raised them to be independent and strong women who were able to take care of themselves, and encouraged them in their educational and professional endeavors. When the girls went to high school, she went back to school to get her real estate broker's license, working in several Albuquerque real estate offices and then opening her own business, Fligner Realty. After she retired, she continued her loves of reading, sewing, investing, and traveling. She became an expert on nutrition and healthy eating long before it was popular, and was an award winning baker at the New Mexico State Fair, where she also enjoyed attending the horse races and trying to pick the winning horse. She enjoyed her friends at Manzano del Sol, where she had lived since 2004, and was an active bridge player and exercise class participant (and instructor) until 3 years prior to her death. She was never happier than when she was able to spend time with her children and their families and friends. Suzanne is survived by three daughters, Corinne Fligner (Mark Wener), Seattle WA, Denise Fligner (Terry Edwards), Albuquerque, and Sharon Fligner-Lindquist (Ray Lindquist), of Richmond, VA; five grandchildren, Leah Wener-Fligner, Zach Wener-Fligner, Morgan Edwards-Fligner, Edward Lindquist, and Suzanne (Suzi) Lindquist; one niece and two nephews, and grand and great-grand nephews and nieces. Her remains will be interred with Oscar's at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Special thanks for their care, kindness, and love, to her wonderful companion-caregivers for the last few years, Rosie Jones and Carrie Ann Maes, and to Mary Romero and Patricia Gallegos, who helped out in the last few months when mom needed extra care. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation, PO Box 25792, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87125 (abqlibraryfoundation.org) to benefit the Tony Hillerman Library, where all the Fligners spent much time.