Susan Beth Meltzer

Susan Beth Meltzer died peacefully at her home in Salem, Oregon on May 17, 2026, after a lengthy illness. Susan was born on November 18, 1942 in Sioux City, Iowa to Scott and Elizabeth Lorimor. During World War II she lived with her mother in Shenandoah, Iowa at her Barton grandparents’ home with many Lorimor family members close by and Susan often reflected on this time of her life and the strong family bonds that were formed. She later graduated from Downers Grove High School in Illinois, before studying Interior Design at Iowa State University.

Susan met her husband, Bill Meltzer while they were both visiting the student health center at Iowa State University. They were married 9 months later on October 13, 1962, in Ames, Iowa and celebrated 63 years of marriage while residing for the last 40 years in Salem, Oregon. Susan and Bill moved to Stanford, Kentucky in 1963 where their eldest son Doug was born and then moved to Medford, Oregon in 1965 when Bill took a job with the Bureau of Land Management and their second son, Joel was born in 1970. They later moved to North Bend, Oregon in 1978 and finally to Salem, Oregon in 1986.

Susan is remembered by family and friends as someone who prioritized her faith journey, had great love for her immediate and extended family and was also a woman who had a talent for organizing, decorating and keeping her home in “tip-top shape.” She loved antiquing and even convinced Bill to join her in hunting for various antique glassware and crocks and watching Antique Road Show. Later in life, she returned the favor by becoming an avid Seattle Mariners fan and would also cheer on the OSU Beavers and the Portland Trailblazers with Bill. Susan was also an inveterate “list maker” and kept a prayer list to pray daily for the concerns of herself and others. After surviving her own treatment for breast cancer, she volunteered for several years at the Salem Cancer Resource Center.

Her grandchildren Emily (Meltzer) Manning, Alyssa Meltzer, and Deegan Meltzer remember her fondness for setting a beautiful holiday table and making sure they each would inherit one of the 3 sets of china she regularly used on special occasions. They enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles with her and helping her with crossword puzzles, sudoku and navigating technology. They shared cookie baking, arts and craft projects and camping trips with her and Grandpa Bill. Susan was fortunate to live long enough to welcome 3 great-grandchildren into the world, Oliver, Lillyanne and Charlotte Manning. Grandma Susan will be dearly missed.

Susan is survived by her husband Bill, son Doug (Jennifer) Meltzer of Salem, son Joel (Larissa) Meltzer of Lebanon, Oregon and former daughter-in- law, Jennifer Lynn Meltzer of Fruitland, Idaho and the aforementioned grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Surviving siblings include Sheryl Barnes of Stillwater, Minnesota and Randall (Cindy) Lorimor of Carlock, Illinois. She was blessed with extended family that included 10 aunts and uncles and 27 first cousins. She also enjoyed being Aunt to her nieces and nephews and welcomed great nieces and nephews into the family fold over the past 12 years, with the newest great niece arriving the day after Susan achieved her greatest desire to “go be with the Lord.” It seems a perfect and fitting conclusion to a life well lived. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother-in-law Loren Barnes and nephew Richard Barnes.

There is no specific Memorial Service planned for the immediate future, but the heartfelt condolences and expressions of concern have been greatly appreciated. Bequests made in honor of Susan Meltzer could be given to Willamette Vital Health (Hospice provider) or to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or the American Cancer Society.