Susan Louise Horrigan

Susan Louise Horrigan
Des Moines, Iowa

Susan Horrigan, 74, passed away on November 16, 2024 in Des Moines. Susan was the third child born to Cecil and Helen (Nelson) Osmund on November 28, 1949, in Creston Iowa.

Susan graduated from Creston High School in 1968. She was an excellent student with a gift for numbers. Susan was a champion tennis player in high school and enjoyed activities such as kickball and riding bicycles all over Creston with her siblings.

In her mid-twenties, Susan moved to a farm in Southwest Iowa. Where she would daily demonstrate a work ethic that would rival no other. Lindsay was born during this time. Starting most of her days before dawn and typically ending them after sunset. She would work the land in either her massive garden and yard that she would trim by hand or lend a helping hand in the corn and soybean fields. She loved being outdoors and the quiet solitude of the farm. Susan would dig up and transplant wildflowers from the country road ditches to the yard.

As an introvert to the nth degree, she had many talents that only a handful of people knew about. She was a brilliant artist, both pencil and paint. Her drawings were something she was always very proud of. Her drawings were beautiful and could have been easily sold as prints. Her paintings were extraordinary as well, both formal and decorative. At one point she wanted to sell some of her wares but never got to see that come to fruition. She would have done well. Susan was talented in sewing and needlework as well. She made several pieces of clothes for her daughter when she was young and a whole wardrobe for several of her daughter’s dollies. She also wrote notebooks of beautiful poetry when her daughter. As a small child, her daughter would refer to them as “palms”. The two of them would laugh about them right up until the end.

She absolutely loved the land and loved to grow things. Her first job after coming to Des Moines was at a landscaping company taking care of the trees. It was hard work but she loved it. From there she got her job at Pioneer Hybrid/DuPont, from which she retired in 2016. She gave her heart and soul to that job, often working weekends and holidays. She started as a lab assistant working in the greenhouses. A job that started in plant care and led to assisting in numerous research projects doing everything from repotting the plants to cross-pollinating to tissue sampling. Her contributions would lead to her name being listed on several patents.

She became a widow before retiring and after retiring she began her next chapter by moving to Illahee Hills Retirement Community in Urbandale. As her needs for care grew, she was eventually moved to a long-term care facility in Des Moines where her Parkinson-induced dementia finally took over. She will forever be remembered for her free spirit, quiet wisdom, love of the outdoors, and the colors of sunsets.

Susan is preceded in death by her husband, Dan Horrigan, next to whom she will rest; her sister Christine (Osmun) Hall; and her parents Helen and Cecil Osmun.

Susan is survived by her daughter, Lyndsay (Jon) Baker and her only grandchild, Lillian Baker. She also leaves behind her brother, Duane Osmun, and wife Wilma who resides in Creston IA; and sister Diane (Osmun) Malavolti who resides in Sioux Falls SD. Along with nieces Nicole, Melinda, and Emily; and nephews Alan and Jason.

The family will greet guests on Thursday, December 5, 2024, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Ave., Des Moines, Iowa. There will be a service held on Friday, December 6, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com

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