Marilyn A. Sauerbrei, 78, of Sumner, died Saturday, August 11, 2018, at the Hillcrest Home in Sumner.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m., Thursday, August 16, 2018, at St. John Lutheran Church in Sumner with Rev. Tracy Hinkel officiating. Interment will follow at St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 15th, at the St. John Lutheran Parish Hall and for one hour preceding the service at the church on Thursday. The family suggests that memorials be made in Marilyn’s name to the Hillcrest Home or St. John Lutheran Church, both in Sumner.
Marilyn Ann, daughter of Ervin and Marena (Kappmeyer) Petersen was born October 26, 1939, at the family’s home in Ionia. She was confirmed at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Readlyn and graduated from Readlyn High School in 1958. On July 26, 1959, Marilyn was united in marriage with Wayne Sauerbrei at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. To this union three children were born, Michelle, Mitchell, and Suanne. The couple lived in the Readlyn area prior to purchasing a farm near Fairbank in 1964, and remained there until moving to Sumner in 1991. In addition to being a mother, Marilyn assisted Wayne on the farm for many years. Marilyn worked at Oran Hardware from 1980-1984, First National Bank in Oran, Oelwein, and Westgate from 1984-1991, and First State Bank in Sumner, where she retired from on December 31, 2001. Marilyn was a member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Readlyn, St. Peter Lutheran Church in Oran, where she was involved in the Women’s Group, and St. John Lutheran Church in Sumner, where she was very active in the Church Choir. She also served on the Hillcrest Board for several years. Marilyn enjoyed golfing, fishing, crafts, quilting, traveling throughout the United States, but most especially enjoyed attending all of her grandchildren’s activities.
In addition to her husband, Wayne of Sumner, and three children, Michelle (Martin) Hendren of Persia, Iowa, Mitch (Jean) Sauerbrei of Fairbank, and Suanne (Todd) Westpfahl of Sumner, Marilyn is survived by six grandchildren, Lindsey Sauerbrei of Blairstown, Brandon Westpfahl of Des Moines, Trista (Andrew) Pattison of Altoona, John Sauerbrei of Sumner, Anna Sauerbrei of Fairbank, and Katie Sauerbrei of Fairbank; two great-grandchildren, Cooper Sauerbrei and Sloan Pattison; one sister, Marlys (Roger) Deterding of Readlyn; one sister-in-law, Tricia Petersen of Clarksville; and several nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law, and sisters-in-law.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Marena who died in 1990, father, Ervin, who died in 2007; and two brothers, Robert who died in 1970 and Roger who died in 2016.
