Suzanne Kollmann (74) of Altamont

Suzanne Kollmann, 74, of Altamont, entered into eternal rest at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham surrounded by her family.

A funeral mass will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 23 at St. Clare Catholic Church, Altamont with Fr. Marek Kasperczuk officiating. Burial will follow at St. Clare Cemetery, Altamont. Visitation will be held 5 to 8pm Friday at Gieseking Funeral Home in Altamont beginning with a rosary at 5pm. Memorials may be made to the Altamont Education Foundation, Altamont Sports Boosters or the Effingham County 4-H Foundation.

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V. Suzanne Kollmann was born in Effingham on Tuesday, October 6, 1942 to Lindel S. and Ruby P. (Hutchcraft) Bell. She married Clarence A. Kollmann on July 29, 1972 at St. Clare Catholic Church, Altamont, and he preceded her in death on July 21, 2011. She was a member of St. Clare Catholic Church, where she was a member and former president of the Altar Society and had taught religious education for a number of years. Suzanne was a graduate of Effingham High School, Effingham and Murray State University, Kentucky. She was a lifetime member of the IEA/NEA teacher’s associations. She retired after 36 years of teaching in the Altamont Community School District Unit 10, in 2005, having taught in five decades beginning in 1964. In 1994, she received the Effingham County “Teacher of the Year” award and in 2002 she received the Illinois Farm Bureau “Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year” award in which she was honored with a trip to Washington, D.C. and attended the National Ag in the Classroom Conference and as a result of this honor was recognized by the Illinois State Fair. In addition, she was past president of the Altamont Classroom Teachers Association, member of Murray State Alumni Association, College of Education. Along with her dear friend and fellow teacher, Karyn Grunloh, she was honored in the Who’s Who in American Education. She was always proud of true achievements of former students and kept in touch with many of them. She felt her greatest accomplishments in her life were being a teacher, a loving wife, a good mom and mother-in-law and always, “Grandma Sue”.

Suzanne leaves behind her sons; Andy (Jody) Kollmann, Alan (Michelle) Kollmann of Altamont; 8 grandchildren, Taylor, Jared, Andrew, Eric, Justin, Katie, Alisyn and Jenna Kollmann; 1 great grandson, Jonah Jansen; brother, Kenny Bell of Effingham; sister, Marie (Dave) Delaney of Effingham; sisters-in-law, Carolyn Kollmann of Altamont and Deronda Kollmann of Watson; many nieces and nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother, Lindel Lee Bell and sister, Eva Rosteck.