This story is from a book titled: The Sauder Family: Stalwarts of the Sunflower State. It’s a history of the family of Abraham and Julia Sauder. What I share today is about my granddad Christian. I believe it aptly describes our family.
Christian “Chris” Sauder was the oldest son of Abraham and Julia Leuthold Sauder. He came by his life’s work naturally. Growing up on his father’s farm, he worked year-round with crops and livestock. He was allowed to attend school only on days when the weather would not permit farm work.
Simply calling Chris a farmer doesn’t do justice to his many skills. He actually served as his own carpenter, blacksmith, mechanic, veterinarian, butcher, barber, cobbler, and harness maker in addition to being a talented producer of crops and livestock,
New farm equipment was rarely seen on his farm. His neighbors would often buy new equipment, use it and find it not suited for their purposes. Chris after much thought would buy the machine, and modify it to have a useful piece of equipment for his operation.
Chris and his wife of 65 years, the former Dena Ott, were parents of 8 children, 17 grandchildren, and a growing number of greats.
Chris and Dena were a great team with her cooking for ten or more often twice a day, sewing most of their clothes while growing food, canning it, and oh yeah – parenting 8 children.
I’m sharing this because the first cousins of Chris and Dena Sauder are holding a reunion here in Emporia starting today. Each of their 8 children has living descendants and all but one uncle will be represented. My sister Pam is the only cousin no longer with us.
Talk about resiliency – my Aunt Nellie, 99 years old is coming from Arizona to be with us. When told we had a wheelchair for her she said she doesn’t use one nor a walker!
A connection of note too is that it was our great uncle Aaron Sauder who founded the legendary Sauder Tank Company in Madison before moving it to Emporia. That makes his late son Robert who lived here in Emporia and who took over leadership of the very successful company most Emporians know as Sauder Custom Fabrications our cousin too. His widow Polly, is Bobbi and my next-door neighbor and dear friend.
My dad always stressed the need to be proud of our name and made certain that my brother Mike and I knew the pressure was on as both his brothers had only female children.
I think we did okay siring three Sauder boys each!
We believe our legacy is in good hands.
I’m Steve Sauder
