Susan J.O. (Olsen) Corey

Susan J.O. Corey, 76, passed away in Pendleton, Oregon on October 11, 2024.  She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Steven H. Corey, her son Michael J.H. Corey, his wife Jenny Corey, and their children Easton Corey and Ellie Corey, and her daughter Megan Corey Furstenberg, her husband Tyson Furstenberg, and their children Reese Furstenberg and Reid Furstenberg.

​Susan was a strong, vibrant, active, and gracious person and always a favorite with her family and friends. She was born in Pendleton, Oregon and initially raised on the family ranch east of Pendleton. Her mother, Helen Egan Olsen, was a nurse at the local hospital and her father Jack Olsen, was a rancher and a director at the Pendleton Round-Up. Susan had her favorite horse Jill and joined her father at a young age in cattle drives in the nearby Blue Mountains.  When she was 10 years of age, her father suffered an untimely death and her mother moved the family to Pendleton, and thereafter as a single mother raised Susan, her younger sister Karin and younger brother John in what became the family home near downtown Pendleton. Maybe because of Susan and perhaps because of her mother, Susan remained active at Round-Up and also became a young actress in the outdoor theater known as Happy Canyon.  At Round-Up she rode her horse pushing cattle through the arena, as a pennant bearer in parades, as an assistant for the American Indian Beauty Contest, and worked in public relations and with sponsors.

​As a young woman, there were no organized women’s sports. Susan always was athletic, continued her horse riding, competed in Mustanger competitions, and even diverted to riding bucking calves, a local competition almost always against young men.  Frequently in later years, she’d brag about beating the Harvey boys (Jim, John, and Bob).  John’s retort was “you only did that once.”  She later became a Princess (1966) and then Queen (1967) of the Pendleton Round-Up. She remained active in 4H, was a cheerleader in high school and was elected by the student body as Head Cheer Leader her senior year in high school.

​Her accomplishments in later life outnumber the spacing permitted in this obituary. She always was a strikingly beautiful person. She was elected as a cheerleader at Eastern Oregon University. She was selected also as the most attractive and outgoing classmate at a college competition. She diverted a bit to marry her husband Steven in 1969 and to live with him while he attended Stanford Law School in Palo Alto, California. She then became more active in the greater Pendleton area, with the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in its choir, its altar guild, and its vestry. She volunteered time with United Way of Umatilla County as its co-chair, worked on the bond issue campaign for Pendleton’s new high school, and served as co-chair of the capital campaign for the new CHI St. Anthony Hospital. She spent 5 years as Chaperone of the Pendleton Round-Up Queen and Court. She was a member of PEO Chapter CM, and on the board of the Pendleton Arts Center. She served as a trustee on the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, Eastern Oregon University. She was selected by the Oregon’s Governor for receipt of the Governor’s Gold Award for exemplary work in community and state-wide projects. 

Susan will be remembered by her family for her devotion to the children and grandchildren, her pets including horses, long hours spent teaching cards and other games, and her zealous competition when wild mushroom hunting. 

​Susan was preceded in death by her parents Jack Olsen and Helen Egan Olsen, and her sister Karin Rosenberg Jackson. She is survived by her husband Steven Hoke Corey, son Michael J.H. Corey, his wife Jenny Corey, their children Easton Corey and Ellie Corey, and her daughter Megan Corey Furstenberg, her husband Tyson Furstenberg, and their children Reese Furstenberg and Reid Furstenberg. She also is survived by her brother John Olsen, his wife Stephanie, son Travis Olsen and grandson Colt Olsen, as well as the children of her deceased sister, being Rex Rosenberg, KC Rosenberg, Thad Jackson and Aaron Jackson and their spouses and children. ​

​A Celebration of Life service will occur at The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Pendleton, Oregon on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a light lunch and fellowship for family and friends at the personal residence of Susan and Steven. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation for scholarship to PEO Chapter CM, 46269 Hudemann Road, Adams, Oregon 97810 or the Pendleton Round-Up Hall of Fame, 1114 SW Court Avenue, Pendleton, Oregon 97801.