Suzanne DeNomy Rauchen

Suzanne DeNomy Rauchen died unexpectedly at her home in Prairie Grove, Ark., on Dec. 16, 2019.
She apparently had a heart attack and just had time to push her medical-alert button to summon an ambulance. Her beloved dogs Bobby Joe and Buster Brown were by her side.
She was 89. Sue was born April 11, 1930, in Webster Groves, Mo., to Edwin and Mildred Pauls Brockmeyer. She was 5 when her mother died, leaving her to be raised by her father and older sister Betty.
Sue attended Drury College in Springfield, Mo., but returned to St. Louis at her father’s insistence. She was a curious woman who loved people, ideas and books; having to quit school was one of her life’s regrets.
She married Jerry Rauchen at age 23. She had two sons in two years. She soon divorced, raising Mike and Jim while establishing a career as an administrative secretary at McDonnell Douglas aeronautics manufacturing. Her father relied on her for meals and housekeeping.
Her boys would become successful businessmen, Mike a corporate head of accounting and Jim a securities trader. Their good lives became a gratifying part of her legacy.
Once her boys were grown, Sue took a trip to Greece, traveling the country alone on a trip that would become a highlight of her life.
She decided to leave St. Louis and move out West, settling in Phoenix. It was there she developed a love for antiques and the people associated with them. She had a great eye and enjoyed traveling to find treasures. She also became interested in native American arts and jewelry; when she got dressed up, she put on turquoise.
She took a job at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department (1986-1993), where she worked at the jail’s psychiatry department. For a time, she counseled inmates with addictions, drawing on her own struggle against alcoholism. Her success story served as an example of commitment, strength and grace.
Another of Sue’s defining traits was her ability to listen without judging. She kept a hand-written note of admonishment on her dresser that read: “Don’t take shortcuts, don’t ask about what doesn’t concern you, don’t jump to conclusions.” She had a wonderful sense of humor. She had a temper, too, revealed most often when she saw an injustice.
In the 1990s, Sue entered the next phase of life after her niece Sunny Hinshaw encouraged her to move to Northwest Arkansas.
In 1998, she bought a home along a quiet street in downtown Prairie Grove. Soon she went into business for herself, selling antiques at a shop along Buchanan Street she called Snoop Sisters. Her store quickly developed a reputation in a quaint town that was becoming an antiques destination.
She was a founding member of the Friends of the Prairie Grove Pound. She fostered pets and adopted hard-to-place dogs. Community cats came to her house to eat. She was a booster of the local library and donated regularly to the Arkansas Educational Television Network. She supported locally owned businesses.
In 2000, Sue took a job for the U.S. Census, interviewing people along back roads. She enjoyed the work because it allowed her to explore the countryside.
At some point she downsized to a booth at the local Antiques Emporium. She also worked for 12 years as a part-time saleswoman at Long Ago Antiques in Fayetteville, retiring in 2017.
In quick succession, Sue lost her son Mike and niece Sunny when both died unexpectedly in the Fall of 2014. She entered a two-year period of mourning. She became stooped over, using a cane to walk.
Her physical challenges didn’t affect her active interest in antiques and gardening, though she had to seek help digging holes or moving furniture.
Her family is grateful to the many neighbors who helped Sue, stopping to check on her and visit for a while. As one said, “She was a hoot.” Her community of friends brought her joy and comfort. She loved them back.
Sue is survived by her son Jim Rauchen, his wife Wendy, and grandsons Jake and Luke of Douglassville, Pa.; her older sister Betty Hinshaw, whom she called “Sissy,” who lives in Tontitown; niece Cathyrn Hinshaw of Little Rock; nephew Ross Hinshaw of Springdale; niece Dawn Hinshaw and her husband Michael Latham, also of Tontitown; and the many others who will mourn her loss.
Services will be Jan. 4 at 10 a.m. at Prairie Grove Church of Christ. Officiating are Gaylon Lamb, minister, with Travis Horne assisting. Those attending are welcome to share a few words or a story about Sue.
Memorials may be made to the Friends of the Prairie Grove Pound, 314 E. Park St., Prairie Grove, Ark., 72753.
Sue’s ashes were buried at the Prairie Grove Cemetery behind the headstone she shares with her first-born son.