Sally Mainquist

Sally Ann Mainquist, 73, was peacefully welcomed in the loving arms of her Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, Oct 5, 2025, at Ascension Via Christi in Wichita. Her husband, Randy, and two sons, Ryan and Darin, were at her side.

Sally was born May 3, 1952 in Norfolk, Nebraska to Gurney and Mary Ann (Olson) Lorenz. She was the second oldest of three and graduated from high school in Randolph, Nebraska, with the class of 1970. Following high school, she moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where she began work as a bank teller and later worked as a secretary in the Education Department of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. While working at the University of Nebraska she obtained an Associate Degree in Business Administration. It was there she met the love of her life, Randall (Randy) Mainquist, whom she married in August 1974 in Randolph, Nebraska.

In 1976, Randy entered the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant and they moved to Dayton, Ohio. Sally started work as an executive secretary at the E. F. MacDonald advertising company in downtown Dayton. In 1978, they bought their first house in the Forest Ridge suburb of Dayton. In 1979, Sally returned to college at Wright State University and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Factors Engineering in 1982. During her last year of school, Randy was sent to Edwards AFB to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School to become a Flight Test Engineer. Sally and Randy graduated on the same day, thus they could not attend each others graduations.

Randy’s next assignment sent him to Eglin AFB, Florida in 1982. Sally sold the house in Dayton, arranged the shipping of their household goods and bought a new house in Niceville, FL. While at Eglin AFB, Sally worked as a Human Factors Engineer, GS-12, in one of the experimental engineering departments. Her most notable engineering studies involved chemical defense equipment ground crew and flight crew testing on various fighter aircraft. It was during this time that their two sons were born, Ryan in May 1984 and Darin in April 1986. In June 1986, the family moved to Camp Springs, Maryland where Randy started working at Andrews AFB and Sally elected to stay home and raise their sons. Their next move, in 1990, took them to live in Prattville, AL while Randy attended the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB for the next year. In 1991, their last military move took them back to Dayton, OH where they bought a house in Beavercreek, OH, next to Wright-Patterson AFB. It was here Sally became involved in volunteering at the Shaw elementary school their sons attended. She went into 1st – 3rd grade classrooms and read stories to the children. She worked the Get Smart program that brought in technical volunteers to show the children various hands on science related physical properties.

she greatly enjoyed organizing the annual Winterfest festival at the grade school. This involved gathering a large group of parent volunteers to develop and oversee games in each classroom.

Randy retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1997 at which time they moved and built a house in Hesston, KS, where she loved to garden and finished raising their sons. The family attended Zion Lutheran Church, Newton, KS, and Sally was involved volunteering at the church. Some of the things she did involved upgrading the lighting in the Narthex hallway, design of the new mailboxes, overseeing the removal of asbestos floor tiles and installation of new carpet as well as periodic cleaning of the church carpets, and alter care.

Sally is survived by Randy, her husband of 51 years, and their two sons Ryan (Amanda) Mainquist of Lee’s Summit, MO, and Darin (Melissa) Mainquist of Brooklyn, NY; sister Sandra (Gene) Schlechte of Utica, NE; brother Leslie of McLean, NE; as well as several nieces and nephews.

Preceding her death were her parents, Gurney and Mary Ann Lorenz of Randoph, NE.

There will be a viewing on Friday, Oct 10, 2025 from 5-7pm at Zion Lutheran Church, 225 S. Poplar, Newton, Kansas. The funeral service will be on Saturday, Oct 11, 2025 at 10am at Zion Lutheran Church followed by a graveside service at the Hesston Cemetery, Hesston, KS. Memorials may be made to Sally’s memorial fund at Zion Lutheran Church, Newton, KS, 67114