Sue Barchenger
/Sue Barchenger
Four States Living Tribute To Women
photo by KENDAL DOCKERY PHOTOGRAPHY
Sue Browning Barchenger served in the United States Air Force for two years. Since two of her brothers were in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, she decided to join the Air Force to help the cause. She was stationed at Lackland, Randolph, Sheppard, and Webb Air Forces bases. Back in the ’60s and early ’70s, the roles for women were very limited, so Sue learned Morse Code and processed orders as her main occupation. Now, she continues to support military endeavors as a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 278.
Sue, also known as Airman Browning, was issued her dog tag during boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base in the late ’60s.
When she was a child, Sue Barchenger was very shy. As she matured, she came out of her shell and learned to “butt into her brothers’ and sisters’ conversations.” Since she really looked up to several of her siblings who served in the medical profession, she always thought that she would become a nurse. (One of her sisters is a retired RN, one is a respiratory therapist, one brother is a Physician Assistant, and a cousin is an LVN.)
Sue attended schools in Atlanta, Texas. After serving in the Air Force, Sue began looking for a place with good retirement benefits, so she went to work for the Social Security Administration. When asked what valuable lessons she has learned throughout her career, Sue responds, “I learned to always carry my workload and help others to carry their load if needed. No job was ever beneath me or above me. My family has always had a good work ethic, so I always wanted to do my share of the work, no matter the task.”
Before her husband, Amos, passed away in 2012, he and Sue traveled the country in a motorhome, visiting all but three U.S. states. They visited many popular destinations during their travels, and she has many fond memories of watching whales and eagles in Alaska, eating escargot for the first time while on a cruise, touring the White House in Washington, D.C., when Ronald Reagan was president, attending the World Fair in Vancouver, seeing the giant sequoia trees in California, and visiting many landmarks, including Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, Plymouth Rock, and Yellowstone Park.
Sue moved to Texarkana to be close to her family in 2013. She says, “I love living here because this is where my family resides. Texarkana is large enough to get about anything you need, and we are close enough to take a weekend trip to Dallas and be back home in time to go to work on Monday.”
After moving here, Sue knew that she had to do something to occupy her time. She spoke to one of her brothers about becoming a volunteer, and he suggested that she apply at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System. In 2014, she began volunteering in the hospital’s gift shop then moved to the rehab hospital where her sister works. Later, she was placed upstairs in the administration office. She admits, “They had never had a volunteer there before. At first, they didn’t know what to do with me, but before long, my desk was running over with work.”
Two months after Hospice of Texarkana opened its new inpatient hospital (in 2016), Sue became a volunteer there. “I get to visit patients and read the Bible and pray with them and their families. One family told me that the last thing their loved one heard was me praying for them. That really touched my heart,” she admits. “I see a lot of suffering and sickness but I have learned to deal with it and go on. I cannot take it personally. Life is too short and precious to give up what I love doing.” She also inputs data for Hospice so the nonprofit organization doesn’t have to hire an extra person for that position. When a social worker makes home visits, Sue assists them and can serve as a legal witness for all end-of-life documents. Helping others just comes naturally to Sue. “I love being able to help others,” she says. “I want everyone to live the best life that they can. If I can help someone do that, I am satisfied.”
“To thine own self be true.”
- a line from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
