Charles E. Sauer

Charles Edward Sauer, Sr. went home to his Lord and Savior December 24, 2021, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Memorial services will be at 2:00 PM, Friday, January 7, 2021, at Messiah’s House, 6901 Bell St. with Dr. Joel Harder officiating. The family will receive friends from 5:00 – 7:00 PM, Thursday, January 6, 2021, at Cox-Rowley Funeral Home, 4180 Canyon Drive.

Charles was born on July 31, 1935, to Lewis and Elvina Ollenburger on the family farm outside Durham, Kansas. Elvina died 2 years later, and Charles and his sister Delores were adopted by Elvina’s sister and brother-in-law Clara and Herman Sauer, who raised them as their own in Weatherford, Oklahoma. After graduating from Weatherford High School, Charles received his Accounting degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He then headed to Oklahoma State University to start a Master’s program. A semester in, he decided he would rather start working and moved to Amarillo to take a job with Pioneer Natural Gas. He spent his entire career at Pioneer.  As was typical with Charles, he worked his way from Junior Accountant all the way to Comptroller of Pioneer Corporation. When Mesa Petroleum took over, he was soon hired back with Atmos Energy where he retired several years later. It was soon after he started work with Pioneer that he met the love of his life, Judy Waters. They were soon married, and their family grew quickly with three children, Eddy, Scott, and Ginger. Charles and Judy celebrated their 60th Anniversary earlier this year. This is another gift of love, honor and commitment that was lived out and handed down.

Having spent his childhood years on a farm in Weatherford, Charles developed a lifelong love for working the land. He could always be found working and tinkering on his farm north of Happy, Texas. From time spent farming and raising a few angus cattle, he taught his kids a strong work ethic and that you always finish what you start. He could fix almost anything. He just needed a little bailing wire, some duct tape and maybe a little WD-40 if things weren’t moving like they should.

He quietly led his family spiritually as well. He saw to it that the family was in church every Sunday. He taught them a long-lasting love for Jesus and a generous spirit of giving that will continue to live on in the family. For many years, they were active in Tascosa Baptist Church, First Baptist Church Canyon, and Messiah’s House.

As time went on, nothing brought him joy and smiles like his grandchildren. He loved being PaPa and he was at every grandchild’s event he and Meema could attend which were many.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Bobby Ollenburger, a sister Delores Johnson, and a grandson, Nathan Sauer.

Survivors include his wife, Judy Sauer; his daughter, Ginger (Ernie) Rojas; two sons, Dr. Scott (Kim) Sauer and Dr. Eddy (Tina) Sauer; eight grandchildren, Caleb Rojas, Preston (Bethany) Sauer, Andrew (Shelby) Sauer, Lizzie (Ryan) Funderburg, Donelle (Joel) Harder, Valerie (Ryan) Bowen, Michelle (Chase) Bowker, and Angela (Austen) Covin; and five great-grandchildren and one on the way.

The family would like to offer a sincere thanks to the staff of The Reserve of Amarillo and to Encompass Health and Hospice for the wonderful love and care that they extended to Charles and his family.

The family suggests memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org; or the Nathan Edward Sauer Memorial Scholarship Fund, WTAMU, WTAMU Box 60765, Canyon, TX 79016; or a charity of your choice.