Sandra Sue Harzke

Sandra Sue (Keene) Harzke was born to Lesta Mae Withrow Keene and Carleton Douglas Keene in Bonham, TX on August 23, 1937 at Allen Memorial Hospital.

“Sue” grew up in Sherman, TX and Bonham, TX.  In Sherman, she attended Crockett Elementary, St. Joseph’s Academy, and Sherman High School. Her family moved to Bonham, TX prior to her sophomore year in high school.  She was a co-editor of the yearbook and a cheerleader. Her classmates voted her Most Popular and Football Queen.  She was an excellent student and graduated a year early from Bonham High School (1954).

She was an honors pre-medical student and microbiology lab assistant at East Texas State College, now Texas A&M at Commerce (1954-1956). There, she was a member of the Marpessa Social Club, which later became the Chi Omega Sorority. She subsequently attended St. Paul’s School of Medical Technology and became a Registered Medical Technologist, American Society of Clinical Pathologists (1957). Her first job as a medical technologist was at Sherman Community Hospital (1958-1962).

Thereafter, Sue worked at the Speegle Clinic and Hospital in Garland, TX and lived in Dallas, TX, where she met Jack A. Harzke—for whom it was love at first sight.  They were married at 7 ^th & Main Baptist Church in Bonham, TX on Saturday, May 4, 1963.  After a one-night honeymoon in Dallas, they packed up and moved to Austin, TX.  Jack started his new job on that Monday.

In Austin, Sue worked at Clinical Pathology Laboratories on and off for about 3 years, while she and Jack grew their young family.  They had two children, Charles Douglas “Chuck” Harzke (1964) and Amy Jo Harzke (1968).  Sue stayed home to raise her children until returning to work at DesRosiers, Wernecke, Associates in 1979, where she worked until her retirement in 1994. Along with Sue’s mother, the couple moved to Elgin, TX, in 1997 where Jack had been the City Manager.

In retirement, Sue enjoyed volunteering at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Lions Club Thrift Store, and Elgin Community Cupboard.

Sue’s family and friends will remember her fondly for so many reasons.  Sue valued education and loved science, and she proudly passed these passions on to her children—Chuck became a medical doctor and Amy Jo earned her doctorate in public health.  Sue was much appreciated as an armchair diagnostician (a.k.a., “the real ‘family doctor’”), assisting friends and neighbors in determining whether and when it was time to go to the doctor or ER!

She was also known to some as “Nancy Neat,” and kept one of the cleanest houses in North Park Estates! As a young mom, she was an avid bowler and, her children will attest, a prolific crocheter (crocheted vests in school colors!).  She was second mom and “Aunt Sue” to the Schedler girls who lived next door—Karen, Susan, and Teresa.  As the children grew, her favorite pastime was watching both her kiddos play every sport that involved a ball! In later life, she enjoyed watching all college sports, but especially the Aggies, and was proud that she “finally got to be an Aggie.” Sue most recently adopted two more daughters, Janice Montalvo and Jenny Phillips, their next-door neighbors in Elgin. Sue prided herself in always being able to find something to like about every person she met.

Although Sue enjoyed working and socializing with people, she also loved being home and spending time alone.  She had a rich inner life and daily devotional practice.  She was strong both within herself and through her faith in God.  Sue never stopped learning and growing as a human being; her heart became more expansive and inclusive with each year.

Sue will be missed terribly by many but especially by her husband and children.  Sue was the love of Jack’s life, his sweetheart and companion of more than 57 years. It is difficult even to think of one without the other.  She was a fierce protector of her children and an exemplar of strength, compassion, and faith.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Doris Mae (Keene) Ritchie and her nephew Jim Ritchie. She is survived by her husband, Jack, her children, Chuck and Amy Jo, her daughter in-law, Kelly (Callaham) Harzke, her grandchildren, Audrey, Jackson, and Mariel Harzke, and Josiah Day, as well as her niece, Debra Ritchie Carrico, nephew Tim Ritchie, niece by marriage, Shelley Ritchie, and numerous great nieces and nephews and their children.

A memorial service will be held at St. Peter's Lutheran Church at 1:00 pm on Friday, November 13th. The church is located at 401 East 8th St. in Elgin, TX. Protective masks and social distancing will be required.  For those unable to attend in person, the service will also be live streamed from the church's Facebook page.

Donations of memorial flowers are welcome, as are donations to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 187, Elgin, TX 78621 or to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at https://gifts.mdanderson.org .