Mary Wuebker

Mary Lou Wuebker, the daughter of Fred and Clara (Baumhover) Sabus, was born April 26, 1929 in Churdan, Iowa and departed this life February 17, 2017 at Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson, Iowa. She lived her life to the age of 87 years, 9 months and 17 days.

Mary graduated from high school in 1945. Mary received nursing training at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Fort Dodge and received her Registered Nursing license in 1948. She started her nursing career working at Greene County Hospital in Jefferson for twenty years.

On January 23, 1951, Mary Lou Sabus was united in marriage to Melvin Bernard Wuebker at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jefferson. Five children were born to this union. Mary raised her family and continued to work at the hospital. In later years, Mary was Director of Nursing at the Jefferson Manor which is now Regency Park Care Center. Melvin and Mary enjoyed wintering in Yuma, Arizona and after Melvin’s death in 1993, Mary continued to spend her winters there until 2015. Mary had been a resident of the Regency Care Center since December of 2015.  

Mary was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and donated her time helping with funeral dinners. When the Catholic Church had daily Mass, Mary would attend every morning and then go out with friends for coffee. She liked to read, watch tennis on TV, watch baseball on TV (but only when it was the World Series) and going out to eat and dancing. Mary was an outdoor person and enjoyed walking, riding her bicycle at her winter home and camping. Mary had a daily ritual - one beer (and one beer only) at 5 o’clock. She told people that being in your 60s was the time of your life.     

Mary is survived by her children: Cathy Springer (Jim) of Jefferson, Michael Wuebker of Lakeside, Calif., Marty Wuebker (Allyson) of Bellevue, Neb. and Sheila Bruhl (Cecil) of Eagle Grove; ten grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Bob Sabus of Fallbrook, Calif. and Tony Sabus of Boise, Idaho; and two sisters, Suzanne Reinert of Lakewood, Colo. and Sharlene Cox of Canon City, Colo. Those who preceded her in death were her parents; husband; a daughter, Christy who died in an auto accident at the age of nineteen in 1970; two sisters and four brothers.

Mass of the Christian burial was held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jefferson with Father Jeff Schleisman officiating. Burial was made in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Jefferson. A Rosary was prayed and a prayer service followed on Wednesday evening at the Brown Funeral Home in Jefferson. Casket bearers were Robert Hofbauer, Luke Wuebker, Jason Steenblock, Justin Springer, Cecil Bruhl and Jeff Wand. Honorary bearers were Jeremy Springer, Tiffany Springer Steenblock, Paul Wuebker, Brittany Wuebker Campbell, Reed Wuebker, Anna Sebastion Wilson, Robert Hofbauer and Heidi Hofbauer. Friends and family were invited to a time of lunch and fellowship at the Parish Center following the graveside service.

Assisting the family was the Brown Funeral Home, Churdan.