Anna May Sauder, 88, of Bridgeport, passed away at home on Saturday, December 25, 2021, surrounded by her family. Her memorial service will be held at 10am on Monday, January 3, 2022, at the Church of Christ in Bridgeport, NE with Pastor Jonathan Seng officiating. Services will be livestreamed on the Bridgeport Church of Christ and Bridgman Funeral Home Facebook Pages. Cremation has taken place and there is no visitation. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of any flowers, memorials in Anna May’s honor be made in care of her family to be designated at a later time. Online condolences may be made by viewing Anna May’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com. Bridgman Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Bridgeport is entrusted with arrangements.
She was born October 10, 1933, to Oscar and Virginia (Tolle) Smith on the family farm in Bridgeport, NE. She was the eldest of three children. At the tender age of three, she was burned over 27% of her body and the family moved to Victorville, CA to be treated by the Shriners Hospital there. In 1937, they moved back to Oshkosh, Ne where she attended grade school and graduated high school. After high school she went on to Omaha, NE for secretarial school and then moved to Washington DC to be a secretary in the office of foreign diplomat and while there, was able to attend Eisenhower’s Inaugural ball. She was also a Lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol as a Pilot out of Denver, CO before moving back to Nebraska.
She met her lifelong love, Roy, at a dance in Lisco, NE while home from Washington DC and they were married on April 10, 1955, in Chappell, NE. The Lord granted them 65 wonderful years together. As a young couple they settled in Sedgewick, CO for a short time before moving to Bridgeport, NE, where they took over the Tolle family farm and has resided there ever since. The family farm has been in their family for over 100 years. The couple were blessed with 2 children, a son, Bradley and a daughter, Faye. They were also privileged to raise their nephew, Terry Maricle. Roy and Anna May loved children, and throughout the years welcomed many children into their lives and home as their own.
Anna May taught many children over the years in 4-H, Saddle Club, Gymkhanas, how to ride and compete in horsemanship and many other characteristics of being the best you can be in whatever you chose to do. She loved her horses, raising and milking cows and helping Roy raise Gelbvieh cattle.
She and Roy were able to fulfill a lifelong dream they shared when they moved to Montana and worked at the Big Sky Christian Youth Ranch as house parents. She was a devout Christian and was an active member of the Bridgeport Church of Christ. She was a friend and example to all she came into contact with.
Anna May will be missed by her daughter Faye (Allen) Maddux; nephew Terry Maricle of Bridgeport, NE; daughter-in-law Susan Sauder of Hay Springs, NE; brother Dick Smith of Lake McConaughy, Ne; brothers-in-law Clayton (Janice) Sauder of Wisconsin, Dick Sauder of Minnesota, and Joe (Charlene) Sauder of Chappell, NE; sister-in-law Nancy Sauder of Sedgewick, CO.; grandchildren Justin Dermer of Bridgeport, NE, Garrett (Morgan) Dermer of Bridgeport, NE, Caleb (Josie) Sauder of Donnybrook, ND, Travis Sauder of Crawford, NE, Tabbott Sauder of Gering, NE, Justin (Kelli) Anderson of Hay Springs, NE, Kristin (Greg) Strathman of Axtel, KS; 18 great grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, and a host of friends and neighbors.
Anna May is preceded in death by her husband Roy, parents Oscar and Virginia Smith, in laws Mike and Mabel Sauder, son Brad Sauder, sister Carol Smith, 4 brothers in law, 5 sisters in law, and infant great granddaughter Angelina Sauder.
