Susan Marie (Bertling—Hillebrand) Hostert, 58, of Bernard, Iowa, passed away Thursday, December 30, 2021 after a courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer.at Unity Point Finley Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa.

Per her request there will be a celebration of life in the spring at the family farm.  The Reiff Funeral Home in Cascade, Iowa is in charge of arrangements.

She was born on September 26, 1954 in Monticello, Iowa, the third child of  John W. “Bill” and Evelyn (Miller) Bertling.  She received her education in Cascade, at St. Mary’s grade school and Aquin High School; graduating from Northeast Iowa Community College in 1981. Susan worked over 26 years with the Sisters of Charity of Mount Carmel in Dubuque, Iowa, in the position of Retirement Trust Office, Director of Human Resources office, Associate Administrator of Marian Hall and ultimately Administrator of the Mount Carmel Continuing Care Retirement Community.  After retiring from Mount Carmel in 2006, Susan worked for eight years at Sedgwick Claims Management Specialty Company and then in 2015 finished out her working career as Front Desk Receptionist at Unified Therapy Services Pediatric Clinic in Dubuque, Iowa.

Susan married Don Hillebrand, September 17, 1971 he died March 15, 1978.  Susan then married the man who would give her a life full of adventure, Mark Hostert on May 16, 1981.  The couple enjoyed many wonderful years together, raising Theresa and Tammy and then opening their hearts wide to welcome five fantastic grandchildren.  Years of travel, music and family togetherness made for a life rich in much love.

She is survived by her husband, Mark Hostert of Bernard; her daughters Theresa (Frank) Scherrman of Cedar Rapids and Tammy (Matthew Schulte) Hillebrand of St. Louis, Missouri; her grandchildren, Jared, Justin, Jenna and Jolene Scherrman and Josephine Schulte; her nine siblings, Jane (Walt) Puccio of Cascade, Sandra (Mike) Coohey of Dubuque, Sherry (Tom) Simon of Cascade, Peggy (Grant) Taylor of Dripping Springs, TX, Billie Sue (Dave) Hummel of Cascade, Vicki (Bill) Takes of Monticello,  Jim (Deb) Bertling of Cascade, Kris (Mark) Bideaux of Marion, and Kari (Dave) Stecher of Des Moines; sister and brother-in-laws, Sharon Bertling of Cascade, Charlotte (Jim) Carey of Eyota, MN, Steven (Jeanne) Hostert of Cedar Rapids,  Joanne Hostert of Minneapolis, MN, Nick (Ellen) Hillebrand of Cedar Rapids and many loving nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her first husband, Don; her parents; two brother, Jeff Bertling and Mike Bertling, her parents-in-law, Claud G. and Rosalie (Kilburg) Hostert  and Clarence and Irene Hillebrand; brother-in-laws, John Hillebrand and Jonathan Egbert; and a sister-in-law, Barbara Adrian-Hostert.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in Susan’s memory to Bernard Fire and Rescue.