Sarah Anne Layman

Sarah (Sally) Anne Layman, age 90, passed away peacefully on September 9th, 2025, in Winona, Texas surrounded by her loving family. She was born November 27th, 1934, in Franklin Township, Pennsylvania to Desdemona (Dummitt) and John Cox. Sarah, the youngest of five siblings, spent her childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania then moved with her family to Whittier, California where, in 1953, she graduated from Whittier High School. She took classes at local colleges in court reporting, literature and creative writing. She composed many short stories, poems and even a futuristic novel!

Sarah married Ronald Allan Layman on February 12, 1955. Ron and Sarah had four children; Thomas Alan, David Ronald, Rebecca Lynne and James Scott. Sarah was a homemaker, PTA member, and a Newspaper Editor and a reporter for The East Whittier Review. Sarah established and operated a resume’ writing service and was an early adopter of home computers in the early 1980s! As a volunteer, she taught adult literacy for many years.

After 42 years of marriage, Sarah divorced Ron and moved to Tulare, CA to be closer to her sisters, her uncle, her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Sarah remained good friends with her ex-husband Ron, they spoke at least weekly right up until his death in March of 2015.

Sarah was a voracious reader and crossword puzzle solver. She kept up on current events by reading and watching the news. She also enjoyed gardening, birdwatching and spoiling her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. As a vicarious contestant, she often knew the questions to the answers given on Jeopardy and the solutions to Wheel of Fortune.

Her family and friends will always remember her as a loving mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother. Sarah’s home was always open to friends and family; she was generous to those in need. She volunteered for the PTA, homeowners’ association and The Literacy Foundation.

Sarah was inquisitive about many things. In the early 1970s before it was easy, she researched and recorded her family history and genealogy. She also was curious about dream analysis, handwriting analysis, numerology, and paranormal phenomena. She even took karate’ lessons! Sarah was not traditionally religious, however, her Christian-based faith in God sustained her through both good and difficult times.

Sarah Layman is preceded in death by her parents, John and Desdemona Cox (Dummitt); Her ex-husband, Ronald Allan Layman; two sisters, June Ctibor and Edna Minchin; her brother, William (Bill) Cox, Nephews, Hugh Cox, Ben Layman, John Cox, and Ed Cox; and her great-granddaughter, Ashley Layman.

Sarah is survived by her brother Robert Cox, her four children, nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews and friends.