Susan Donna Iiams, 70, of Lander, Wyoming, passed away on October 29, 2022, at her home. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm, Thursday, November 10, in the Chapel of Mount Hope at Hudson’s Funeral Home, with burial to follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Susan was born March 31, 1952, in Phoenix, AZ, to JL and Hope (Gustin) Martin. A short time after Susan was born, her mom passed away. She and her brother Jay were brought to Lander and were adopted by their grandparents, Wainwright and Millie Gustin Sr. Growing up, she enjoyed camping and fishing with her grandparents.
She enjoyed riding the motorcycle her grandfather gave her, which is still on the Iiams Ranch to this day. Susan learned to be a fabulous cook from her grandma and aunt, Nina. During the summers, she would help her grandfather clean the South Side school and the Masonic Lodge. She graduated from Lander Valley High School in 1971 and attended Central Wyoming College.
On March 29, 1972, she married the love of her life, Bradley Iiams of Lander, at the First United Methodist Church; her brother Jay walked her down the aisle. They lived on the lower part of Iiams ranch in the “blue house” together.
Later in 1972, Brad and Susan purchased the Iiams Ranch. They were active cattle ranchers through the years, but their focus was always the hay and pasture. She worked beside Brad with the livestock, helping with haying and irrigation. Together they built a rental trailer home park at the lower Iiams Ranch.
The Iiams barn was built during the 1930s -1940s and hosted the well know historic Iiams Barn dances. Susan and Brad continued the barn dances with Brad’s band playing the music; they held the last Iiams Barn dance in 1981 with over three hundred people in attendance.
Life on the ranch was an adventure, one of Susan’s fondest memories she always talked about was when Brad and Wendell Hudson went to play country music on the weekends; she and Celina Hudson would be doing all the lambing and calving together, and often they would bring the newborns into the house to warm up by the fireplace. She enjoyed raising sheep and chickens, riding horses with her niece and nephew, sewing, cooking, canning, fishing, camping, traveling, and seeing and learning new things.
Susan and Brad had two children; Jamie was born February 1, 1979, and Field was born May 14, 1981. Susan loved her children with all her heart. She was so proud of them and all their accomplishments. Her children were her pride and joy, her everything. She enjoyed taking them on trips and showing them how to fish, making and sewing their clothes and Halloween costumes, and helping in their school classrooms.
Not long after Jamie was born, Susan and Brad decided they needed to build a bigger house, and together, they designed and built their beautiful two-story log home. They decided to build their home on the upper part of the ranch where the old Iiams pioneer homestead was located. Susan was so proud of the home they built and loved decorating it. Susan continued living at their home after Brad passed and until she passed.
Susan also worked outside the home; she especially enjoyed working at Corner Drug, decorating the store windows for the holidays. Her children were her priority, and she always had a flexible job so she could be there for them and at all their activities and events. There was never a time when she was not there for her children.
Holidays were a special time of year for the Iiams household. Susan enjoyed hosting large family meals and holiday gatherings; there was always plenty of delicious homemade food to go around; she always outdid herself with her cooking. Christmas was her favorite holiday; she loved collecting snowman figurines and displaying them around the house. She always made the holidays beautiful, memorable, and fun for everyone.
Susan and Jamie traveled to Hawaii to attend Field and LeeAnn’s wedding; she loved all the fun they had together. Field and Leeann built their dream home out on the family ranch. She was so proud of them and the life they were building together.
When she and Brad found out from Field and LeeAnn that they were going to be grandparents – they jumped and cried for joy. They waited a long time to become grandparents. She loved spending time with her grandsons, Xane and Reece; she enjoyed playing with them and giving them special treats when they visited her.
She enjoyed her time with her daughter; they took trips to Maryland and toured Washington, DC. They frequently went to Salt Lake City to attend Broadway shows and the opera. She was proud of Jamie when she earned her bachelor’s degree but even more proud when Jamie and Tad had their son, Matthew, a year ago. She was the first family member to see and hold baby Matthew.
Susan was a loving wife, ensuring Brad had everything he needed and his home-cooked meals. Before every weekend, she would iron Brad’s clothes perfectly for when he went to play his music on the weekends. She loved listening to Brad’s music and being with him; she was heartbroken when he passed away on December 6, 2020; he was her best friend.
Susan was loved by many and will be missed dearly, especially by her children and grandchildren.
Survivors include her brother Jay Martin; daughter, Jamie (Tad) Iiams; son, Field (LeeAnn) Iiams; grandsons, Xane, Reece, and Matthew; nephew, Robby Martin; niece, Jennifer Martin, great-niece Annabelle Martin: great-nephews, Bodhi, and Monte Ranelle; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, family, and friends; and her beloved dog Chewie.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Bradley Iiams; parents, JL and Hope Martin; grandparents, Wainwright and Millie Gustin Sr.; along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, family, and friends.
Please sign the online guestbook: www.hudsonsfh.com