Maria Susana MacDonald

Maria Susana MacDonald passed away August 11, 2024. 

A visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Thursday, August 15, 2024 at the Amos Family Funeral Home in Shawnee. A rosary will take place at 10:30 am, on Friday, August 16th at St. Vincent de Paul SSPX Church, 3106 Flora Ave. Kansas City, Missouri 64109, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am. Maria will be laid to rest at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Shawnee, Kansas. 

Maria was born on May 24, 1940 in Guadalajara, Mexico to Eduardo and Julia Ladron de Guevara Rodriguez. Her maiden name was Maria Susana Ladron de Guevara Rodriguez. She usually went by her middle name, Susana. She was the oldest of nine children, five boys and four girls.

When she was 20 years old her mother passed away. This placed Susana in the position of caring for her younger siblings as a virtual mother, along with her. This was especially true of caring for her youngest sister who was 3 years old and her youngest brother who was 5 years old at the time. Susana along with her father were the stabilizing force in their family. 

After her family grew up with some getting married, Susana at the age of 34 met her husband, Norman MacDonald. They decided to move to the United States where she became a licensed cosmetologist, eventually owning her own beauty salon in California. 

After she retired, she and Norman first moved near Sacramento and attended St. Michael’s SSPX Church in Carmichael. Later they moved to Kansas to be close to her brother and his family. After living here for 7 years, she and Norman were looking forward to their 50th wedding anniversary on August 30, 2024. However, God called Maria to Heaven on August 11th, after receiving the last rites including a plenary indulgence from Father Beck 3 hours before she passed away at the age of 84. 

Not only is a Mass being held in Kansas City at St. Vincent de Paul SSPX Church on Friday, there was a Mass held on Monday in Guadalajara with family and friends.