Obituary of Susanna Marie Lee

Susanna M. Lee, 79, of Niles, passed away on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at Cass County Medical Care Facility in Cassopolis, Michigan. She was born at Pawating Hospital in Niles, Michigan on May 30, 1942, to the late Marjorie Alleen (Fisher) Lee and the Edd Jack Lee. Susanna was a 6th Degree member of Sumnerville Community Grange. She enjoyed making new friends in various chapters of Beta Sigma Phi. She loved meeting new people and building strong relationships wherever she went. She married her late husband James George Karstens in October of 1961. Susanna worked in the food industry for over forty years, beginning in the Arrowhead Restaurant in the U.P, later at Franky’s in Niles, Big Wheel in Hammond and Kokomo Indiana, and many more restaurants in South Bend, Indiana. Susanna enjoyed working in her flower garden and her strawberry patch. She was known to take good care of the things she loved, however, flowers and fruit were not the only things she tended to. She also had her dogs, her favorites being, Skippy, Samantha, Barney, Chloe, and Lucy. Throughout the summer, she even made sure the hummingbirds in her garden were fed, and all the other birds were fed all year long. She was preceded in death by her father; Edd Jack Lee in 1976; her mother, Marjorie Lee in 2020, and her three sons; William Edward Karstens, Joseph Frederick Karstens, and James George Karstens Jr. Susanna is survived by her brother; John Joseph (Jannine) Lee, of Niles; and her sister; Mary Jane (Jerry) Clifton of Sun City Center, Florida; nephew, Michael Lee of Mt. Clemens, Michigan; nieces, Karen C. (Ralph) Salata, Rhonda Clifton, and Wanda Wilcox all of South Bend and a great-niece, Lauren Salata of South Bend, Indiana. A graveside celebration of life will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Mission Hills Memorial Gardens, a reception will follow at the Community Grange Hall in Sumnerville. Susanna’s nurturing spirit and loving heart with be greatly missed. Condolences, photos, and memories may be left for the family at www.BrownFuneralHomeNiles.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services, of Niles.