Susan Irene Knappenberger (known as Sue) was born 16 September 1951, the younger daughter of Allen J. Knappenberger and Retha J. (nee Patterson) Knappenberger, and grew up in Leechburg, Armstrong County, PA. She descends from J. Michael Knappenberger (immigrant) via his son Conrad who moved to western PA, via his son, J. Philip Knappenberger and Martha Swanger through their son, John Knappenberger (born 1809) of Armstrong County, PA.

     After graduating from Grove City College in 1973, she left Pennsylvania and moved to the warmer climate of Atlanta GA where she found a great position with Hewlett-Packard Company in Human Resources plus met a wonderful life partner and husband in Jerry W. Appleton (graduate of Vanderbilt University and native of Nashville, TN). She worked in the field of Human Resources, got her MBA from Mercer University and started her own consulting business in Atlanta until Jerry got transferred to Raleigh with HP. There Sue returned to school at Meredith College and completed her NC secondary teaching certification. After teaching honor level courses for 7 years in a magnet high school, Jerry and Sue moved to the North Carolina coast upon Jerry’s retirement from HP after 32 years.

     While living in Wilmington NC for almost six years, Sue did volunteer work with the local United Way and worked on the Knappenberger and Appleton family genealogies.  Jerry worked on restoring a 1948 Buick convertible which has now been sold.   In 2003,  Jerry and Sue moved back to Georgia to the town of Jasper which is 50 miles north of downtown Atlanta to live closer to family and friends.  Here they have reestablished contact with  many old friends and have continued their interest in genealogy and other hobbies.