Suzanne Sylling

Suzanne Grabs Sylling, 77, passed away Sept. 7, 2014, at the Bitterroot Living Center in Stevensville.

She was born in Tacoma, Wash., on March 13, 1937, to Frank and Evelyn Grabs and was their only child. She was raised and attended school in Tacoma, graduating high school from Annie Wright Seminary in 1954.

Suzanne met her husband, Alvin Sylling, at Pacific Lutheran University in the fall of 1954. They were married April 5, 1957, in the Chapel at PLU.

She was a loving homemaker for 20 years, raising two daughters, Kerianne and Krista. After raising her girls, she worked as an active partner in the family businesses in Washington, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

Suzanne was actively involved in the Intermountain Horse Show Association, the Montana State Horse Show Association and the Montana Horse Racing Association.

Suzanne was preceded in death by her father in 1954; mother in 2008; uncles George and Anders; and aunts Kathryn, Hazel and Helen.

She is survived by her husband Alvin Sylling, of Stevensville; daughters Kerianne Robertson and husband Tom, of Boerne, Texas, and Krista Martens, of West Glacier; granddaughters Ariana Wemple, at Washington State University, and Claire Robertson, at University of Montana; stepgrandchildren Brock Martens and wife Ashleigh, of Australia, and Sunny Martens, of Kalispell; son-in-law Wayne Martens, of Hawaii; near-daughter Nancy Miller; aunt Doris Anderson; and cousins Layne Green, Ann Schnitzer, Susan Fox, Mark Harding, Paula Leitz, Pamela Meath, Kay Anderson, Richard Anderson and Jon Anderson.

A memorial service will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church, 2200 U.S. 2 East, in Kalispell, on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force, P.O. Box 2095, Whitefish MT 59937; the Evergreen Community Supper at Calvary Lutheran Church, 2200 U.S. 2 East, Kalispell MT 59901; or Ray of Hope, P.O. Box 5407, Kalispell MT 59903.