Marilyn Elizabeth Sauer

Marilyn Elizabeth Sauer, was born on May 27, 1938 to Dora and Frank Carlsen in Detroit, Michigan. She was a mid-Western girl of Scandinavian descent turned New Yorker. Marilyn married Conrad Sauer on August 25, 1961, in Detroit, MI. She graduated from the University of Michigan, with a BA in 1959 and Masters in social work in 1961. She also studied under Francis Schaeffer at L’abri Switzerland. Marilyn loved life, good food, books, loved to tease and to laugh, and had a deep passion for people. She dedicated her life to counseling and ministering to others. Upon finishing graduate school, she worked for several years as a social worker at Mt. Wilson Hopsital, MD. After moving to NYC in 1969, she stayed at home with her two children until they were school age. Then she began working with students in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, at Queensboro College and York College in Queens. She subsequently worked for Here’s Life Greater New York, which at the time was under Campus Crusade. She also had her own private counseling practice where she did individual, family counseling, and play therapy. Her true vision though was for the church to continuously minister to the homeless of NYC. She trained Christian laymen in basic counseling skills, developing a training manual, and then utilized these individuals to run Christian support groups in NYC shelters. Her idea was for a church to adopt a shelter and then minister to those in the shelter on a regular basis. She successfully implemented this vision in 2 shelters, one in the Bronx and one in Queens. Lives changed as a result, as those in the shelters received support, counseling, food, clothes, jobs, salvation, and healing. Throughout her years as a pastor’s wife, Marilyn also lead and co-lead many bible studies, small groups, spiritual and pastoral retreats, church activities, preaching/speaking engagements, assisted in fund-raising and a quarterly prayer letter sent to a mailing list of 300-400 people for over 40 years. In 2014, Marilyn and Conrad moved to Woodbridge, VA to be close to their two daughters and their families in the area. Marilyn is survived by her husband, Conrad; daughter Laura, son-in-law Alvaro, along with Cecilia, Alejandro, and Daniela; daughter Karen, son-in-law Brian, and their two children, John and Jasmine.