E. Susan Huff's Obituary
Sue Huff was born in St. Helens at the former hospital on 4th. Street on December 17, 1940 to John and Frances Kumpula. Living on a small farm in Yankton, she attended Yankton Grade school. Sue's family moved to St. Helens when she was a freshman at St. Helens High School. She graduated from SHHS in 1959 and went to work for Montgomery Wards in Portland. Since this was before computers, Sue, who was very competent in math, was assigned the laborious and labor intensive task of recording multiple sales of small hardware parts, thus deriving the inventory and assisting the buyers in reordering.
She met Jim Huff of Tacoma in 1957 through a cousin, and became reacquainted in 1959. They married on February 4, 1961 at the Warren Baptist Church. Jim had just graduated from college and he accepted a position with Proctor and Gamble in Southern California. After four wonderful years of enjoying the climate, they returned to St. Helens in 1965 where Jim accepted a job as chemical engineer at a plant in Kalama, Washington. A few months later, Jim joined Boise Cascade, retiring in 1999.
The Huffs then took on the task of finishing a house on Gable Road that Sue's father had built. Until 1975 they raised a huge vegetable garden and prize winning fuchsias every year. In late 1975, Jim was transferred to Boise's Salem, Oregon mill, where their attention turned to daffodils and dahlias as well as gardening. In 1979, they returned to St. Helens and continued vegetable gardening but also raised dahlias and tuberous begonias.
Sue used her skills in crafts and decorating, which came in handy for the Christmas parties she assisted in as the wife of the Boise mill manager. Although she never wanted the responsibility, she rose to the occasion. Retiree dinners were part of her interests, and she often grew the flowers she decorated the tables with. The Boise summer picnics were another big project for Sue who was integral in the origin, planning and execution of the mammoth event. Sue struggled with cancer first detected in 1993. After radiation and chemotherapy failed to correct the problems, alternative therapies were embraced. After just three months, the original cancer was sharply reduced. Sue continued alternative methods for the rest of her life. However, in 2000 the cancer returned and once again conventional medicine was used. However from that point on, they tried to "marry" the two. She beat the cancer back in 2000 and again in 2003, when it impacted her spine. She learned to walk again after being told she never would. In 2006, cancer returned and once again was turned away. However, by this time the cancer treatments had taken a toll on her energy, in spite of all that was done. Cancer recurred at an ever increasing frequency throughout 2008 and 2009, until her body was no longer able to sustain life, even though her will never ceased. She passed away on December 28 after an incredible 16 year fight. Jim is the family survivor. Special thanks to our dear friend, Rena Davis for all her help over the years. At Sue's request, there will be no services but friends so wishing may make memorial contributions to a charity of their choice in Sue's name.
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