Susan Cantrill:
CLASS OF 1973
Shawnee Mission Northwest High SchoolClass of 1973
Shawnee mission, KS
Susan's Story
After high school I married Ronald E Hamblin on Sept 14, 1974. Ron was in the USMC so we lived in Carlsbad CA until 1976 then moved back to Kansas City, MO. Ron was involved in a fatal motor cycle accident in March of 1981.
In 1987 I married William Cantrill. We bought our first piece of real estate in Independence, MO. Then one day Bill came home and said to me - What do you think about Iowa? I knew there was a reason for that question and sure enough within three months we were moving. Bill had accepted a manager position with his company and so we moved to West Des Moines, Iowa. We have lived in the same house since 1987.
In Feb of 2008 I received a life changing surprise, my kidney's were functioning at 8%, wow was that a shock. On July 7, 2009 I had a kidney transplant and have been learning to cope with all the doctors and medications. So far everything is looking great.
Bill and I are very active; we own a second fixer upper home at Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, MO. It's a little bit of a drive but we both love the water and boating. We plan to redesign the house and retire there someday.
Currently we have a Triumph Rocket III 2300 cc and enjoy taking Motor cycle trips and exploring other states. In 2008 we joined the RAA (Rockets Across Americia) group. They are a fun group from all over the US that love to ride and meet new people. The group's age range is mid 20's to late 80's. We have a blast traveling around the US.
Bill and I never had children; instead we had two beautiful eight pound Yorkies that were with us for sixteen years. KC Heartbreaker was born Jan 1990, we lost him in Feb 2005 and Spunky Samantha was born Oct 1990 we lost her in April 2006. They each developed different personalities, KC was very independent, and Sammy was just the opposite. It was a wonderful experience and a true joy spending time with the two of th...Expand for more
em throughout their lives.
Time sure seems to go by faster these days; the older we get the faster time gets away from us. So we enjoy everyday, and have fun along the way. I have fond memories of my high school days and old friends that over the years you seem to lose track of. One of our hang outs was a place called "The Oar House" lots of memories there . . . Another was a little diner on Neiman road; they served the best grease burgers, fries and shakes.
I always wanted to be a Hair dresser when I grew up. My family and friends thought that was a bad career idea. As it turns out, they were right, banking and finance was a much better career choice.
When I want to blow off steam, I usually go for a long walk or work out in the yard and take my frustrations out on the weeds in the flower garden. To relax I like to bake, call family members and catch up on family matters and just be able to do absolutely nothing, not a thing, no appointments, no anything. On occasion go to the movies and munch on some popcorn.
I've spent 35 years working in the banking and mortgage industry, most of it as a supervisor or manager. I developed many skills over the years, have a positive, good attitude, and lots of patience and you can survive and be able to deal with the day-to-day things that life throws at you.
Life and the people that surround me are my inspiration. My hero is my cousin - he donated a kidney so that I could have a better life.
My first job was at Spartan Atlantic, where I got paid $1.45 an hour to monitor the shoe department. What I remember most about it is meeting Ron, who changed my life..
I will never forget working at my Aunt Opal's, Fun House Pizza - Every day was a new adventure and learning experience. I did not realize it at the time but she was assisting me in gaining people and business skills that would be very useful in the years to come.
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