By Kathy Oswalt-Forsythe
At five o’clock, Tuesday, June 2nd, traffic stopped in Vicksburg as a funeral procession passed through town: a tribute to Sue Moore, a woman whose life’s work was documenting and helping residents remember the beauty and uniqueness of little hometowns.
The motorcade’s route passed many of Sue’s important places: school buildings where she attended, eventually serving on the school board and helping form the Vicksburg Community Schools Foundation; the streets of her neighborhood where she grew up and began her own family; the Vicksburg Historic Village for which she was a continued mobilizing force; the covered pavilion and site of the Farmer’s Market, a pet project of hers.
Last on the path, her beloved downtown: the former community center and meeting site of the Rotary Club; the former Vicksburg Commercial Building and print shop where she worked side-by-side with her parents publishing the paper; and the renovated store fronts and buildings along Prairie and Main Streets. How proud she was of the improvements! How much hope she expressed for the future!
Several hundred people gathered along the streets. Those faces were loved and familiar to Sue. How many lives had she touched in her eighty-two committed years here? How many people were touched and inspired by her tireless work and kindness?
And let’s not forget her ever-present Canon camera and her constant arranging and rearranging for photos we are suddenly so thankful for.
She felt the pulse of this village, its people, its “goings on.” She possessed a deep love of this place and people who call Southwest Michigan home. She was like a favorite auntie who made every effort to come to all the events and parties. She was every event’s welcomed guest.
She cared by showing up and documenting life in this little corner of the world.
Yes, her shoes are impossible to fill, yet their imprint on area lives and communities remains forever.