Lillian “Sue” Naomi (Weyandt) Christner, 81, of New Stanton, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, surrounded by her family after a fierce battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born June 13, 1943 in Rochester to the late Archie and Lillian (Schweinsburg) Weyandt. Lillian went by the name Sue her entire life and corrected you if you called her anything else. She will always be remembered as the most devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She graduated from Hempfield Area High School on June 8, 1961, married her best friend Richard Christner on June 10, 1961, and soon turned 18 on June 13, 1961, which allowed her to follow her new husband all over the east coast while he proudly served in the U.S. Navy. For the next 63 years they were together, raising their family, working hard and creating countless memories. Sue started working at Benford’s Cleaners, which then became CJ’s Best Way Cleaners before she bought it in 1987 and renamed it Basket Laundry. She continued to run the business from 1987 until May of this year. Sue mentored 156 children over a period of 27 years, a gesture from her big heart. She gave so many children a solid foundation and helped them navigate life’s twists and turns. Sue was ambitious and determined; you could call them board game marathons. She played Ludo, Trouble, Yahtzee and cards, always keeping score, best of three games and announcing the winner, often Sue being Sue. Just last week Sue won the gold medal in the family Yahtzee game. She loved doing crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku, and anything that kept her mind active. She was a devout Christian and avidly studied the Bible. She had read it in its entirety at least twice and regularly participated in Bible studies on the phone with her sister. She was always the boss and always the one everyone went to when they needed advice or the final opinion. Her most important role was caring for and providing for her family. There will be everlasting memories of games, endless laughter, and just being together. Her presence will be forever missed, but her gentle spirit and deep love and devotion to her family will remain in our hearts and bring us comfort. Sue is survived by her husband of 63 years, Richard R. Christner; her beloved daughter, Rachel Christner; her beloved grandchildren, Devon Hawk and Tristan Bosh; her sister, Rebecca McCart (Randy); her brother, Charles Weyandt (Angela); and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents Archie and Lillian, Sue was preceded in death by her brothers Archie III, James and William Weyandt. Please join us in honoring and celebrating Sue’s life. We will have visitation from 4:00 p.m. until the time of the service at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 16, 2024, with white doves released afterward at ASHLEY DX NYE CREMATION CARE & FUNERAL HOME INC. 408 Depot St. Youngwood, PA 15697. Please visit http://www.nyefuneralhome.com to send condolences or share a memory of Sue. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
