Mae was born in Milliken, Colorado, on October 21, 1931, the oldest of three children. During World War II, her father, William Jackson, and mother Mildred Hawkins, along with her sister, Louise, and brother, Carl, moved around a lot. They lived throughout Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. One of Louise’s fondest memories of Mae is how she fought for those who could not fight for themselves, especially for her and her brother when they were children.
Mae met her husband, Robert “Bob” Sagdahl, in Seattle in 1952 at Pacific Northwest Bell (PNB), where they both worked. Bob worked at the east office, and Mae would often travel between several offices as a relief telephone operator. One fateful day, Mae happened to be working at the east office. Bob recalls the first time he saw her how beautiful she was. He was also amazed by how incredibly fast she connected and disconnected calls. Not even Mae’s supervisor could keep up with her!
As Bob watched in wonderment of Mae, a couple of his co-workers nudged him and said, “You’d better ask her out!” PNB had been planning a dance at the Olympic Hotel in Seattle for their employees, so he decided that that would be the perfect event for their first date. Bob took the plunge, asked Mae out, and she said yes! When the couple arrived to the event, every gentleman there was stunned by Mae’s beauty. “Who is that?!” they would say to Bob. Oh yes, Bob was with a true beauty queen!
After spending a lot of time together, Bob and Mae knew they were in love. They purchased their engagement rings together and were married on July 17, 1954. They spent their honeymoon traveling and staying at fishing resorts around the Olympic Peninsula.
Shortly after they were married, Mae decided to make Bob an extra special meal. She went to the grocery store and purchased the finest ingredients. She would spare nothing for this meal for her new husband. After spending all day preparing, she served the meal to Bob. He was shocked when placed before him was a stuffed cow’s heart! He describes it as a large, bowl-shaped object stuffed with all kinds of things. “It didn’t look like fish!” he says. No way was he going to turn his nose up at his new wife’s masterpiece, so he powered through it. This was Bob’s first experience with a beef heart, and he doesn’t recall ever eating beef heart again!
After Mae and Bob were married, Mae left PNB to be a stay-at-home mom for 12 years. Mae and Bob first lived in the Blue Ridge area for six years with their children, Bonnie, Billee, and Rick; then, they moved to Hood Canal for four years. Mae loved raising her children. Bonnie remembers being terribly ill one February and how she cared for her and tried to make her feel better by making hand-made valentines for Bonnie to take to school. Billee remembers how Mom used to ride Billee’s bicycle to pick her up from school and put Billee on the handlebars for the ride home! Rick recalls how she would go camping with the family, even though she really wasn’t a fan of camping. She was always willing to do what others wanted to do, even if she really did not want to. She even cooked fish for the family when she herself couldn’t stand the smell or taste of it. When Rick played youth football, he remembers how she and two other mothers dressed up in cheerleading outfits and cheered for the team!
After returning to Seattle, Mae went to work for Seafirst Bank in 1967. She started as a keypunch operator and quickly moved her way up as a supervisor in the data processing department. In 1971, Mae and Bob had their fourth child, Kimberly. At that time, maternity leave was only six weeks. When the day came for her to return to work, she worked nights and Bob worked days, so Kimberly would never have to be left with a stranger. In 1989, Mae retired.
After spending a short time in retirement, Mae decided that it just wasn’t for her. Kimberly had previously babysat for a little boy named Alex Thies. When Mae found out that Alex’s parents, Mike and Lori, were looking for a new nanny, she jumped at the opportunity. Soon, Mae became an integral part of the Thies family. In 1989, Mike and Lori had their second child, Meryl, and in 1991, their third child, Natalie.
Mae spent summers down at Riffe Lake surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She always made the most fabulous breakfast and had it ready right when everyone woke up! Kimberly’s favorite breakfast of all time is Mom’s egg-in-a-pancake. In addition to spending time with her family, Mae loved to garden, knit, crochet, listen to music, and read.
Mae suffered from many ailments over the years, but she was always more worried about how everyone else in her family was doing. Family was always the most important to Mae. Even in the midst of battling kidney failure and Alzheimer’s disease for over two years, Mae opened her heart to everyone. She touched so many people’s lives with her kind spirit and beautiful smile.
Surrounded by her family, on Friday, October 19, 2012, Mae went home to be with her Lord and Savior. Mae is preceded in death by her parents, William and Mildred; brother, Carl; and grandson, Kevin Clemens.
Mae is survived by her loving husband, Robert James Sagdahl; her sister, Louise Guest of Everett; her sister-in-law, Mary Skartvedt of Seattle; her uncle, Jesse (Irmajean) Jackson of Longmont, Colorado; her children, Bonnie Anderson of Prosser, Billee Rhue of Federal Way, Rick (Lorraine) Sagdahl of Edmonds, and Kimberly (Paul) Schulz of Kent; her grandson, Scott Clemens of Marysville; her granddaughter, Kelly (Stan) Weinstein of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania; her grandson, Robert (Melissa) Anderson of Boise, Idaho; her grandson, Benjamin Anderson of Portland, Oregon; her grandson, Christopher Sagdahl of Edmonds; her grandson, Jonathan Sagdahl of Edmonds; her granddaughter, Alisa Sagdahl of Edmonds; her great-grandson, Scott Clemens Jr. of Marysville; her great-grandson, Dallas Clemens of Marysville; her great-granddaughter, Kaelynn Weinstein of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania; her great-grandson, Jackson Weinstein of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania; her great-grandson, Ardin Anderson of Boise, Idaho; her great-grandson, Tristan Anderson of Boise, Idaho; her great-grandson, Tanner Weinstein of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania; and numerous loving cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
A visitation will be held on Friday, October 26, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Acacia Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 14951 Bothell Way NE, Seattle, WA. The memorial service will follow at 2 p.m. Mae will be laid to rest at Acacia Memorial Park at 3 p.m. Please join the family for a time of continued sharing and fellowship at Acacia's Reception Hall, following graveside services.
The family suggests memorial contributions be sent to:
Alzheimer’s Association
P.O. Box 96011
Washington, DC 20090-6011
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