Dr. Sarah E. Efflandt

1974 - 2025

Dr. Sarah E. Efflandt, 51, of Waverly, Iowa, formerly of Moline, Illinois, passed away Monday, December 8, 2025, at Waverly Health Center.

Sarah Efflandt was born on June 18, 1974, in Decatur, Illinois, to Thomas Ayers and Maryell (O'Melia) Cox. Sarah grew up in the Quad Cities and graduated from Moline High School in 1992. After high school, Sarah graduated from the University of Illinois in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in bioengineering and that same year married her high school sweetheart, David Efflandt. She began doctoral work at the University of Minnesota, earning her PhD in materials science engineering in 2001.

That same year, Sarah began working with the Guidant Corporation, moving to the Bay Area in California to begin her professional career as a research engineer in bioengineering. During this time, Dave continued teaching middle school band, and Sarah gave birth to her first child, Austin, in 2002. Later that year, her research went into production, which prompted a move to Southern California. Not long after, their second child, Bella, was born in 2003.

Things changed for Sarah in January 2004, as a latent autoimmune disease called Sjögren's Syndrome burst onto the scene, affecting her brain and lungs, causing her to become permanently disabled. Over the course of the next 21 years, this disease made its presence known, and it was her lung disease, called bronchiolitis obliterans, which ultimately led to her death. Throughout this entire journey, she was surrounded by the love and care of gifted medical teams at the Loma Linda Hospital, the U.C.S.D Hospital, the Mayo Clinic, Cedar Valley Hospice, and by the overflowing support, kindness, generosity and love from so many family and friends.

Those who knew Sarah would be the first to tell you that, while her health struggles were players in the story of her life, they were not the main characters. Her kindness, gentleness and love overshadowed even the most challenging moments, and she had an impact on so many people throughout her life. As a mother, she loved her children deeply. She was so proud of their accomplishments, and held on long enough to see both graduate from college. As a daughter, she made her mother proud, even going so far as encouraging Maryell to retire early and move to California. Sarah was a devoted and loving wife of 29 years to David, and she was such a blessing to him and to their family. Sarah was also a life-long friend to so many people. And it was not only people that she befriended. She had a deep love and care for animals. Sarah's greatest joy was to show others how much she loved them.

Sarah was also a person of deep faith, both in worship and in practice. This was seen clearly through her generosity to ministries and organizations for which she was passionate. Though she would have told you that she was not an overly faithful person, those who knew her would say the opposite. Through it all, it was God's faithfulness that accompanied her-faithfulness and love that were alive in her in very real ways, and which will continue flourishing in the lives of those that knew and loved her.

Sarah is survived by her husband, Rev. David Efflandt, of Waverly, Iowa; two children, Austin and Isabella Efflandt of Waverly, Iowa; her mother, Maryell (O'Melia) Cox, of Waverly, Iowa; a sister, Sharon (Jim) Connors, and a brother, Thomas (Tonya) Ayers; and many aunts, uncles and cousins, all of whom she loved dearly. She was preceded in death by her father, Thomas Ayers, and her grandparents Clarence and Carol (Thomas) Ayers and Merrill and Dorothy (Cloudas) O'Melia.

Visitation is 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, December 11, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church & School, 301 First St. NW, Waverly, Iowa. Funeral services are 5 p.m. Friday, December 12, at the church. The service will be livestreamed on the St. Paul's YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/live/nqLEfnZUL70.

Graveside services are 11:30 a.m. Saturday, December 13, at Riverside Cemetery, Moline. A hospitality gathering to celebrate Sarah's life will follow from 1–4 p.m. Saturday, December 13, in the Horizon Room at Trimble Funeral Home at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th St., Moline.

Memorials may be directed to St. Paul's Lutheran Church and School in Waverly, Iowa, or to Cedar Valley Hospice.

Kaiser-Corson Funeral Homes, Waverly (319-352-1187) along with Trimble Funeral Home and Crematory, Moline (309-764-1144) are assisting the family.