Sarah 'Sally' Lorine Striemer

    Sarah Lorine Striemer - “Sally”, beloved wife of Lloyd Striemer of Stirling, passed away at the Chinook Regional Hospital on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at the age of 78 years.

    Sally is the loving mother to Lloyd William Striemer and James Dean (Mary Lynn) Striemer and grandmother to Dryden James Striemer, all of Lethbridge.

    She is also survived by her siblings; David (LaVern) Sawatzky, Jim (Carol) Sawatzky, Terry (Dianne) Sawatzky, Dan (Joyce) Sawatzky, Robert (Tara) Sawatzky and Rose (Byron) McNeely as well as mant nieces and nephews.

    Sally was predeceased by her parents; John and Mary Sawatzky, and her siblings; Jake and Henry Sawatzky (twins), John (Mary) Sawatzky, Tom Sawatzky, Len (Cheryl) Sawatzky, Shirley Sawatzky, Laurie-Lee Sawatzky and Mary Sawatzky.

    “I want to wear a high neckline, long sleeved, white dress for my funeral/not fancy”. 

    Not fancy. Words written by our beloved Sally eight years ago that summed up her life’s philosophy: live life simply, love compassionately and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

    Sally was born Sarah Lorine Sawatzky on February 27, 1944 in Rosthern Saskatchewan to John and Mary Sawatzky. She was the second oldest of fifteen children and although her childhood was marked by poverty and loss, her resilience and faith in God helped her to survive and to become the strong woman we all knew.

    Sally met Lloyd Striemer when she was just a young girl. Two months after her sixteenth  birthday, on April 22, they were married. They recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary! A year after they were married, they welcomed their son Lloyd William (Bill) and four years after that, James (Jim). Sally and Lloyd were hardworking parents, determined to provide for their boys despite obstacles life occasionally placed before them. Through these difficult times, Sally remained strong in her faith. Prayer was an important part of her life.

    After relocating a number of times, including a move to Silver Valley in the Peace River area, the family settled in a modest blue house in Lethbridge where the boys grew to adulthood. With the boys grown and the family settled, Sally decided to answer a calling to serve others. She finished high school and then started LPN training in Calgary, returning to Lethbridge on the        weekends. Though it was a grueling schedule and she missed her boys, Sally completed her training and returned to Lethbridge. She worked as a nurse’s assistant at Extendicare for several years.

    In 1990 Sally and Lloyd moved back to Silver Valley where they built an A-frame house with building supplies, some tools and a lot of determination. While living there, Lloyd farmed their plot and together they were custodians at a nearby country school. Eventually they realized they missed their family and wanted to be near their only grandson, Dryden, so they moved back to southern Alberta. The town of Stirling became their home and Sally was hired as an LPN at St. Michael Extended Care hospice. After retiring, Sally and Lloyd adopted three dogs and rescued several cats. Sally loved animals. In addition to rescuing their indoor pets, she and Lloyd fed the neighborhood strays and provided safe spaces for them during the winter months. 

    Sally may have felt that her life wasn’t fancy, but it was rich. It was filled with love and with family, with hard work and determination, with resiliency and with compassion and with a faith that I know brought her peace as she passed from this world.

    Funeral Services will be held at Christensen Salmon Generations Funeral Home, 703 – 13 Street North, Lethbridge on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. Interment to follow in the Stirling Cemetery, Stirling, Alberta.

    In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation on Sally's behalf to the Last Chance Cat Ranch. 

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