Sue A. Balog

Sue A. Balog, 71, of the Town of Belgium, Wis., passed away peacefully in the arms of God at Ascension Columbia-St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee on April 7, 2023, with her loving husband Neil Kraemer at her side.

She was born on June 2, 1971, in Detroit, Mich. Sue was the youngest of three daughters born to the late Sylvia (Gustafson) and Steve Balog.

Sue graduated from Lincoln Park High School in 1969. She attended Michigan State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1973 and a master’s degree in social work in 1976.

Upon graduation, Sue became executive director of Catholic Social Services in Owosso, Mich.

Sue married Neil Kraemer in the Michigan State Alumni Chapel on Feb. 4, 1984.

Sue and Neil then moved  to northern Ozaukee County and purchased their dream home near Harrington Beach State Park and Lake Michigan.

Sue resumed her career as an outpatient clinical social worker at Counselling and Development in Sheboygan. In 1991, Sue collaborated with several associates to co-found Northshore Clinic of Sheboygan. Sue eventually purchased Northshore and managed the business until she sold it to co-workers and retired in 2012.

In addition to her parents, Sue was preceded in death by her sisters Charlotte Bizoe (Thomas) and Linda Balog (William Vorndam).

She is survived by her husband Neil Kraemer; nieces Theresa Bizoe of  Waterford, Mich., Amy Balthrop of Leslie, Mich., and Michelle (Larry) Gregory of Manchester, Mich.; and nephew Steve Bizoe (Melanie) Niles, Mich.

Sue is also survived by great-nephews Johnathan, Joseph and Joshua Gregory of Manchester, Mich., Andrew Bizoe (Holly Ann) of South Bend, Ind., and Matthew Bizoe (Jake) of Bridgeman, Mich., and great-niece Charlotte Bizoe of Denver, Colo. Sue is also survived by great-great-nephews Titus and Judah Bizoe of South Bend, Ind.

As a licensed MSW clinical social worker, Sue truly found her calling for 35-plus years by helping clients navigate emotional issues and providing insight and encouragement. Her genuine, caring, down-to-earth disposition was shared with a smile and occasional humor.

Her personal time was shared with family, friends and pets, with one exception. Sue was a voracious reader. When immersed in a novel by a favorite author, she was 100% focused. That worked well, as she was a night owl and never a morning person. Sue loved nature and observing wildlife, especially the birds, deer and pesky squirrels in her back yard.

Christmas was always spent with family in the Detroit area. Spring, summer and fall were filled with bi-weekly trips to Sunset Lake near Iron River, Mich., to spend time with her widowed mother Sylvia, who owned a seasonal retirement home. Sylvia’s roots were in the Upper Peninsula before moving to Detroit to raise a family.

As the years took their toll and Sylvia’s yearly trip to the UP was too difficult, Sue and Neil decided to purchase a lake house on Grindle Lake in Oconto County. From 2001 until the 2022 sale, Sue and Neil spent as much time as possible enjoying the North Woods and many great friends.

Prior to the Grindle Lake house, Sue and Neil also enjoyed camping around the Midwest in a pop-up and then a mini-motorhome. The couple also had a time-share and loved traveling west for vacations.

When retirement became reality in 2012, Sue and Neil were snowbirds for 10 years, staying at winter rentals in Perdido Key, Destin and Tampa, Fla., and three years in Pawleys Island, S.C.

Neil and Sue’s family would like to express thanks to the staff of Columbia St. Mary’s Hospitals in Ozaukee and Milwaukee for their professional and compassionate care during Sue’s hospitalization. God choose to take her peacefully in the hospital.

A celebration of Sue’s life will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, 1535 S. 12th St., Sheboygan, from noon until the memorial service at 2 p.m.

In her memory, in lieu of flowers, donations will be made to a cancer research.