Grace Maxine Sattler (99), passed away peacefully at home on November 22, 2020 in Rogers, Arkansas. She was born on May 7, 1921 in Long Pine, Nebraska to the late Clyde C. Pharris and Nellie E. (Barr) Pharris. The family moved to a farm outside Winner, South Dakota where she grew up.
After graduation Grace moved to Columbus, NE for her first job at the Power Company, where she met her life-long friend, Mildred Hefti. She soon met her future husband, Emil, at a soldier’s dance in Columbus. Grace moved to Tulsa to work, while Emil was overseas. When Emil left the military after WWII, he quickly followed her to Tulsa, and they married on June 17th, 1944 in Tulsa. They went on to raise two daughters, Jacquie and Darlene.
Her first job in Tulsa was working at Mid-Continent where she met her life-long friend Jacquie Madrano, whom she would later join in travel with her and her husband, Joe. Grace was employed in Tulsa as an office clerk at American Airlines, Skelly Oil Co., Lee Way Motor Freight, and Chief Freight Lines where she became a member of the Women’s Transportation Club.
In the mid-fifties, they met Bill and Dot Williamson and Buster and Velva Hallman with whom they became lifelong friends. Through their influence, Grace and Emil became members of 10th & Rockford Church of Christ and attended there for 25+ years. Other close friends were the Grigar family and the Barrows family, whom they all enjoyed raising their young families together.
While living and raising her family in Tulsa, her pastimes included, canning vegetables from Emil’s garden, playing cards w/friends, camping w/family and friends, and waterskiing. During the holiday’s grandma’s house was always filled with both friends and family and food. She really loved entertaining year-round.
Grace and Emil loved to travel and they saw the world together. They travelled to Argentina, Uruguay, Guam, New Zealand, Australia, Holland, and Italy. Usually travelling with friends or family, they both saw how big the world is but also how small it can seem.
Emil retired at 65 and Grace took the opportunity to retire also and in 1980 they moved to the home that they built on Beaver Lake in Arkansas. She enjoyed skiing, fishing, canning, crafts, tole painting, and crocheting. She was also a very talented piano and organ player.
She became a member of the Beaver Shores Women’s Club, making friends in the neighborhood whom she also shared a booth of her creations at local craft fairs. She always enjoyed having family and friends visit and their door was always open. She was a member of Southside Church of Christ for over 40 years where she was a very involved member of the Jolly 60’s group.
After Emil’s death in 1991, Grace went back into the workforce. First at Sam’s Wholesale and then Wal-Mart in Springdale and later to the Rogers Pleasant Crossing location. She was a door greeter at first, and later was chosen to be a cashier. After working 20 years for Walmart, she retired in 2013 at the age of 92. She always spoke fondly of being blessed with many dear close friends at Wal-Mart and a special thank you to Pam Barringer.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 47 years, Emil W. Sattler; daughter, Mildred Jacqueline Mitchell; son-in-law, Reese Mitchell; two brothers and five sisters; and their spouses.
Grace is survived by her daughter, Darlene Pedersen and her husband, Norman; 7 grandchildren, Sherry (Jami) Yaqub, Coconut Creek, Florida; Laura (Eric) Tepner, Saudia Arabia; Jeff (Anabel) Mitchell and Marcus (Luciana) Mitchell, both of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Brenda (Stephen) Caldwell, Coweta, Oklahoma; Karen (Federico) Ghirimoldi, San Antonio, Texas; and Wesley (Amber) Hood, Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was blessed with 21 great-grandchildren and 6 great-great-grandchildren.
A special thank you to her caregivers, Paula Roney and Sue Newcomb, for all their help and taking care of mother for the past 2 ½ years. Also, a special thank you to the nurses and staff at Circle of Life Hospice.
Tribute video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/Li8633ktr4A
