Thursday, September 19, 2024
On Saturday, August 19, 2023, the Lord lovingly carried the very weary body of Angela (Wendt) Sasse, 97 of Fremont, to His Eternal Home,
to join her waiting husband and son. Peace and Rest at last!
Angela was born July 3, 1926, in Milwaukee, to Edward and Anna (Winter) Wendt. At two months old, her family returned to West Bloomfield near their original Wendt farm. Angie married Raymond Sasse on Sept. 23, 1945 at Christ Ev. Luth. Church. They operated the original Sasse farm (in the family for 142 years) in the Town of Wolf River near Tustin for 53 years, milking Brown Swiss dairy cattle and raising 3 children.
When Angela wasn’t caring for newborn calves and piglets, nursing sick animals, raising a garden, chickens, and ducks, driving tractors or helping with milking chores, she and her husband were very active at St. Paul’s Church, Fremont, as Sunday School teachers, in choir, 100th Anniversary committee, and co-lead the local 4-H Club. Angie also volunteered at St. Paul’s VBS, Alter Guild, Ladies Aid, and Bethesda Thrift Shop in Neenah. She worked on town Election Board, sold Avon, and enjoyed Homemaker’s Club. Late in the evenings when quiet, Angela found time to do farm bookkeeping, reading her novels, and felt real accomplishment and pride earning her High School diploma through American School correspondence courses. She and Ray were caregivers for his parents and her mother in their final years.
Angela and Ray found time to enjoy square-dancing, bowling, Deer Camp, fishing year round, boating and family picnics on Lake Poygan. Besides one-day outings, they traveled-caught a sailfish in Mexico, gambled in Vegas, sniffed cherry blossoms in D.C., drank warm German beer and danced through Germany and Austria with a Polka band, heard Country music in Nashville, and visited cousins in Utah.
After Raymond’s death in March, 1998, Angela lived with her son, John, on the farm, raising beef cattle for another 19 years. Continuing to help with the calves, chores, and farm bookkeeping, she spent more time enjoying her flowers, loving their many cats and protective dog, Sheena, and reading, though often interrupted by a furry body or a wet nose wrinkling her pages.
Angie was still always “on-the-go”-Red Hat Club, board member of Fremont Area Historical Society, Sunshine Chair of Fremont Senior’s Card Club, Cajun Fests, and still traveling with her daughter-Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty in New York, country music at Dollywood, TN. and Branson, MO., granddaughter’s wedding and swampboating in Miami, and finally, Hawaii, where a tiny seahorse wrapped it’s tail around her finger.
In 2017, she moved to Crossroads Care Center in Weyauwega, still close for family to visit or take her to lunch, movies, or back to the farm to see her kitties. With old and new friends there, she was always busy with activities-games, baking club, Friday fish fries and Happy Hours, fairground visits, wearing Packer and Brewer gear on Game Days, reading favorite novels again, Red Hat Club, visiting with old friends and neighbors, and “playing substitute mom” for her many nieces and nephews who stopped by often. During most of her 6 years there, she was so blessed both with good physical and mental health. She was a wonderful resource of valuable information about both the Gehrke/Sasse and the Wendt/Winter ancestries, which her daughter then compiled to donate to the Fremont Area Historical Society. Angie courageously fought her last few months of pain and anxiety with a smile, trusting in her Lord, until He said, “Come Home with Me.”
Angela was a true inspiration for all. Through her entire life, she always had a beautiful smile, a listening ear, and helping hands for anyone in need. She always tried to be positive, looking for the “silver lining” in each cloud, just like the Hummingbirds outside her window. Both at the farm and at Crossroads, she had a stack of inspirational “thoughts for the day” booklets, prayer pamphlets, and Bible verses piled next to her chair, reading from several each day. Her daughters, while growing up, remember finding religious verses or inspirational quotes as well as cleaning and medical anecdotes written or taped into the covers of most of her Bibles and her 100+ recipe books, inside of nearly every cupboard door and taped to the corner of most mirrors-reminding her (and all of us) that there is “good” everywhere, you just have to “look” for it, and to ask God to help you recognize it. She was our true Hummingbird. Watch for Hummingbirds. One may be mother’s spirit visiting you to bring good luck.
Angela will be deeply missed by her 2 daughters and sons-in-laws, Kathryn (Frank) Martin of Racine; Patricia (William) Marks of Waupaca; Rosemary Rhoden (loving friend of her late son, John) of New London; a granddaughter, Debra Friere and a great granddaughter, Gabriana, both of Deleware, and a great grandson, Julien of Miami; one sister-in-law, Nanette Wendt, of Stratford, and many loving and caring nieces, nephews, aging cousins, and all former friends and neighbors who continued to stay in touch. In addition to her husband, Raymond, she was preceded in death by her son, John, her parents, 5 brothers -Wilfrid, Waldrew, Edward, Victor, and Wallmar, and one sister, Rosella.
A Memorial Service will be held at St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church, 107 Tustin Rd, Fremont, with Rev. Mark Drengler officiating, on Monday, August 28, 2023 at 11:00 AM. The family requests that those attending wear bright colors in honor of Angie. Her favorite color was red. Visitation with family will be held at the church on Monday from 9:30AM until time of service. Burial will be at the Wolf River Cemetery immediately after the service.
Angie’s family would like to especially thank the always loving and compassionate staff at Crossroads Care Center, Weyauwega, who provided creative care for all of mom’s special interests and needs. She loved her new home and all of her friends there, and often said, “They treat me so good here.” A very special thank you, also, to Pastor Drengler for visits of comfort and consolation, especially welcomed by mom during her final two-month struggles with health issues.
In lieu of flowers, you may wish to remember Angela with a memorial gift to one of the following: St. Paul’s Church, Fremont; St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital; Fremont Area Historical Society; American Cancer Society, or a charity of your choice.
The Lewin Funeral Home Fremont is assisting the family with arrangments
