Donna "Sue" Hanneken (née Brannan), age 84, of Chesterfield, Missouri, passed away at Delmar Gardens in Chesterfield due to complications related to vascular dementia on June 20, 2025.
Sue was born in Cairo, Illinois, in 1940 to Harrell Blake Brannan and Cora Ellen Brannan. Her childhood memories were primarily in South St. Louis with her older brothers, Harrell and Donald. Sue initially attended Bayless High School but then after a family move to Alton, Illinois, she graduated from Alton High School. In Alton, she met the love of her life, Robert Joseph Hanneken, and they married in 1963.
Sue took great pride in being a military wife, mother of their first child, Christie, and was a loyal supporter of her husband's career in the US Air Force. Tragically, Bob died in 1968 while conducting military operations on the Korean Peninsula. Sue returned to the United States with her young daughter and newborn son, Michael. She raised her two children with strength and love in St. Louis.
In addition to raising her family, Sue also built a successful 30-year career in Human Resources at McDonnell Douglas.
Sue was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Joseph Hanneken, and is survived by their children, Christie Ann Bayer (Raymond) of Chesterfield, Missouri and Michael Robert Hanneken (Amy) of Orinda, California; four grandchildren: Raymond III and Michael Bayer, Ryan and Lauren Hanneken; and two great-grandchildren: Thomas and Peter Bayer.
Sue will be laid to rest alongside her husband at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Godfrey, Illinois. A private burial is planned.