WABASHA -- A funeral Mass for Eugene Leonard "Gene" Sanders will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha, with the Rev. Donald Lovas officiating. Burial will be in Riverview Cemetery in Wabasha.
Mr. Sanders, 80, of Wabasha, a former Gould Co. and Wild Wings employee, died Tuesday (July 1, 2003) at Lake City Hospital-Mayo Health System.
He was born Aug. 19, 1922, in Glasgow Township, Wabasha County, and attended area rural schools. On April 20,1948, he married Doretta Ahlers, and they were later divorced. He and Doris Byington were married July 25, 1970, in Frontenac. She preceded him in death on March 13, 1996. Mr. Sanders had farmed in the West Albany area, worked at Gould Co. in Lake City from 1962 to 1988 and then was employed at Wild Wings in Lake City for several years. He lived in Millville and Lake City before moving to Wabasha 12 years ago. He was a member of St. Felix Catholic Church and the Wabasha Senior Citizens.
Survivors include four sons, Roger, Edward (Shirley) and Dale (Kathy), all of Lake City, and Otto (Jenny) of Red Wing; a daughter, Melody Johnson of Minnesota City; a stepson, Don Byington of Wabasha; two stepdaughters, Jeanne (Terry) Reinhardt of Oakdale, Minn., and Jan (Jay) Longsdorf of Durand, Wis.; seven grandchildren; a great-grandchild; two sisters, Violet (Robert) Irvin and Cecilia (James) Danckwart, both of Lake City; a brother, Joseph (Marie) of Kasson; and special friend, Frances Brinkman of Altura. He was preceded in death by an infant brother, a granddaughter, a stepson and a stepdaughter.
Friends may call from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at Schleicher Funeral Homes, Lake City Chapel, and an hour before the service Saturday at the church. The rosary will be recited at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
