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Sue Gist-Travis

January 3, 1939 - August 22, 2021

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Sue Gist-Travis, 82, passed away on August 22, 2021. She was born in Griffin, Indiana on January 3, 1939, to James H. and Ellen V. (Van Way) Sears.

Sue retired from the Vanderburgh County Clerk’s Office. While there, she perfected homemade and hand-crafted chocolates which she sold to the workers in the city/county offices. Her candy became famous in the community, and she became known as the “Candy Lady”. She joined her mother as a resident at Leisure Living where they got a group of ladies together that enjoyed crocheting, calling themselves the “Happy Hookers”. For 15 years they crocheted hats and scarves for the local shelters, tiny hats for babies, and later added lap afghans for chemo patients. Sue attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. She was a daughter, mother, grandmother, and friend, but to many others she was the “Candy making Happy Hooker”.

Sue is survived by her children, Timothy Gist and Cindy Luigs; her grandchildren, Tony Gist, Alex Gist, Andy Gist, and Anna Boyer; eight great grandchildren; her sister, Karen Sears; nieces, Cathy Mead and Chris Densmore; and special friend, Becky.

Sue is preceded in death by her parents; her son, Kenneth Gist; her brother, James Sears; and her sister, Phyllis Smith.

Sunset Funeral Home will be hosting a celebration of life for Sue on Friday, September 10, 2021. Services will begin at 12:00pm at Sunset’s Chapel of Peace Mausoleum.

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