Vera Saddler

Obituary for Vera Saddler Vera Marie (Ziegelmeier) Saddler, age 94, passed away on Monday, July 2, 2018, at Prairie Senior Living Center in Colby, Kansas.  She was born on June 7, 1924 to C.V. and Josephine (Queen) Ziegelmeier in Gem, Kansas, as the seventh of nine children. As a child, Vera contracted polio, which caused her right leg to be shorter and caused significant muscle and nerve damage in her ankle and foot which resulted in her having several surgeries as she grew.  It also required her to wear special shoes.  Because of her foot and leg problem, her dad didn’t want her outside running around with the other children, so she had to help her older sister Sarah with cooking and other household chores.  She also helped at the family’s general store.  Despite all this, Vera never considered herself handicapped; in fact, she resented having to use a handicapped parking sticker when Don needed it due to his mobility issues and COPD.  Following her eighth grade graduation, Vera started dating the love of her life, Donald Wayne Saddler.  When they were dating, Vera would ride on the handlebars of his bicycle six miles each way to and from his family farm north of Halford.  They were married on her 18th birthday, June 7, 1942, at her parents’ home in Gem.  Don and Vera lived on a farm east of Halford where they raised five children:  Carol, Carlos, Donna, Lyle, and Wynn.  They were three months short of having been married 75 years when Don passed away.  Feeding people was always a way for Vera to serve her family and friends.  She made pancakes from scratch every morning for Don and the family, whether you wanted them or not, until moving into assisted living.  She was well-known for her angel food cakes, homemade noodles, cinnamon rolls, and Parker House rolls, all made from scratch.  You weren’t going to leave the table hungry! Her faith in God, working on the farm alongside Don, and raising her children were Vera’s life’s work and passion.  She even drove the pickup and grain truck during wheat harvest with four kids in the seat beside her while still preparing three meals a day and keeping up with her other daily tasks.  When the grandchildren came along, they expanded her love for her family exponentially. In addition to her excellent cooking and baking skills, Vera was a fine seamstress.  She made most of her children’s and her own clothes, and she even made her own wedding dress! Vera was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Gem and later the First Presbyterian Church in Colby; she participated in a number of women’s groups.  She was also active in the KSU Extension Farm Unit in the Halford area and the Gem Consolidated School PTA.  She served on the North Randall Township election board for many years and continued to serve as an election board member after she and Don moved to Colby in 1984.   During the summer, Vera enjoyed keeping score at Don’s town team softball games and her boys’ little league baseball games.  That interest in scorekeeping carried over to World Series baseball games that she listened to on the radio and later watched on television.  She grew up a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers and had an extreme dislike for the New York Yankees and the New York Giants.  She struggled when the Dodgers moved to LA in 1958.  She was a Kansas City Royals fan from day one because KXXX carried the games, and Don and Carl both worked there.  She attended several games in Municipal Stadium and Royals Stadium, including the 1973 All Star Game with Lyle and Don (they received tickets through KXXX).  She continued to be a Royals fan and watched their games until her death.  She loved it when any of her kids or grandkids would watch with her! Don and Vera were an incredible example of love and respect to everyone they met.  They lived their faith, and they leave a legacy of commitment, service, work ethic, and lifelong love for their family.  Vera will be dearly missed for the positive impact she made on the lives of the people around her. Vera is survived by Carlos and Janet Saddler, Lyle and Nancy Saddler, Wynn and Ray Duffey, all of Colby, son-in-law Roy Harshbarger of Norton, 14 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, six great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Steuart, Victor, Ernest, William, Donald Faye; her sisters, Ayesha Watt, Sarah Protzman, Dorothy Metzler; her daughters Carol Harshbarger and Donna Morford; her grandson Kelly Duffey; and her great-grandson Lance Harshbarger. Visitation will be at Kersenbrock Funeral Chapel from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 5, 2018. Funeral services will be held Friday, July 6, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at the Colby First Presbyterian Church with Reverend Dixie Anders officiating.  Burial will follow at Beulah Cemetery in Colby. Memorials are designated for the March of Dimes, Northwest Kansas Foundation for Hope, or the First Presbyterian Church of Colby, Kansas.