Doc Susie, My Neighbor

Susan Anderson was born in Indiana but made her way to Colorado when the lure of the Colorado Gold Rush called to her father in 1892. The small family settled in Anaconda, near Cripple Creek. Her father did not strike it rich. Susan Anderson left Cripple Creek to attend the University of Michigan School of Medicine, graduating in 1897.

In 1907 she began a medical practice in Fraser, Colorado, that continued until age and ill health forced her to close her practice in 1958. Known by everyone in Grand County as ‘Doc Susie’, she was the only physician in the area and treated both humans and their animals. Doc Susie served as county coroner and when the Moffat Tunnel was being built, Doc Susie was often called upon to treat injured workers. Her legacy remains strong in Fraser, where a street is named for her and a statue stands in a local park.

“Doc Susie has gathered much attention and respect since her death in 1960. Articles, books, and documentaries have been written about her and rightfully so. Doc Susie, My Neighbor is more than another retelling of her life. It is a fascinating ‘must read’ book about a revered Colorado icon.”
—Tim Nicklas
Author, Historian, and Director of the Grand Encampment Museum