Local woman dedicates time, resources to community volunteer work

Heroes come in all forms and sizes. There are super heroes, war heroes, romantic heroines and brave warrior champions. But have you ever known one who was a full-time volunteer, dedicates their life trying to improve the lives of the local youth, spends tireless efforts trying to make new and better opportunities for those around them, owns two businesses, is a loving wife, mother and friend? 
Well, you do, if you know Suzanne Gilbert.
If you know Suzanne then you know that volunteering her time and resources to the community is a passion that she is dedicated her fullest to doing. To list the many adjectives that are used to describe this remarkable woman and all of the numerous boards and committees she’s been a part of over the years would be endless. 
Whether you know her as the tag agent lady, insurance lady, the lady with the black curly hair and red lipstick, Suzi, Susie Quzie, Poc or Suzanne you still know that it’s the same woman who would give you the shirt off her back or the last dime in her pocket. 
Suzanne’s passions are geared towards agriculture, 4-H, FFA helping the local youth achieve success, rodeo and really anything else in the town of Shawnee or Tecumseh that needs a helping hand. She wears many different hats to help achieve all the goals at hand, but she does it with enthusiasm, delight and that contagious smile. 
Suzanne is a great leader, teacher and cheerleader. She is a great listener and always has encouraging words. She is the first one to show up and the last one to leave. She is the person behind the scenes and down in the trenches. A tireless advocate and promoter, she is able to make the good feel better and bring out their best efforts. We should all be so dedicated to helping out in our community. 
With her infections smile and big heart, Suzanne is one of the only volunteers I know of that works diligently to give recognition to the many other hard working volunteers. Volunteering is one of the hardest jobs at times that can be the most under appreciated. True volunteers know the job is not done based on recognition or glory, it is done based on generosity.
Suzanne’s noble concept of “giving to the giving” and recognizing the importance of hard work and time that is given freely of others is what sets her apart from the pack. Whether it is her home-made, award winning, no-bake cookies; home-made Christmas baskets she makes for the Pottawatomie County Fair Board members; or working closely with the city to install the IFYR Hall of Fame trophy case at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center, this is one of her most methodical characteristics. 
Being involved with the Pottawatomie County Junior Livestock Show, Suzanne has been known to come early to help set things up, stay late to help tear things down and go home while the rest of the world sleeps. She bakes cookies to thank the other volunteers who were right along beside her helping out the community. 
The words “thank you” to such a generous and gracious person just doesn’t seem to do justice to all the appreciation countless people would like to express. The communities, individuals and organizations that she is affiliated with are lucky to be able to call Suzanne Gilbert a hometown hero, some are even luckier to call her a friend.
But I am the luckiest to call her my mom.