Carlos Salcedo/Arizona Republic

Sue Raatjes is a retired high school teacher and author living in Phoenix.

KJZZ partners with the Arizona Republic to bring you the Arizona Storytellers series. We record the live events and share them with you on the radio. In Phoenix, the storytellers sometimes share stories about our community or the life events that have shaped them in general. Megan Finnerty is the creator of the series. 

When Sue Raatjes thinks of a Grandma, she imagines an apron and fresh baked cookies. But Sue’s Grandma Agnes was what the family called a Party Doll. 

She was a flapper back in the 20s and never really grew out of it. Grandma Agnes wore lots of makeup and red lipstick, drank, smoked and dipped snuff.

One summer when Raatjes was a teenager, Grandma Agnes stayed with them. And Raatjes had to share her bedroom.

Sue Raatjes is a retired high school teacher and author living in Phoenix.

The next storytelling event is June 28, 2017, at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix.

→ Hear More Arizona Storytellers