Sheryl Rae Baerenwald

Sheryl Rae Baerenwald was born to Wilson and Erna (Corbett) Winter on April 25, 1941 in Sheldon, Iowa. She was raised on a farm near Matlock, Iowa. She was baptized on May 18, 1941 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sheldon where she was also confirmed. When she was five years old, she moved with her parents to a farm near Sheldon where she attended country school. After she completed fifth grade, she attended Sheldon Public School and graduated from there in 1959, the same year her parents bought a farm near Jasper, Minnesota. She continued her education at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After her first semester, she decided to go to keypunch school in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a keypunch operator and verifier. In February, 1961, she moved to Spirit Lake, Iowa where she worked for Berkley and Company. On October 21, 1961, she was united in marriage to Loren Baerenwald at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sheldon. Following their marriage, they lived with Loren’s parents. In February, 1962, they moved to their current residence near Jasper where Sheryl helped Loren with the farm work, raising farm animals and gardening, while raising their children. She began working at Citibank in Sioux Falls in 1984 and then began working at Bayliner Marine in Pipestone. In 1989, she became employed by S&S Truck Repair in Pipestone. She also worked at M&M Distributing until she began working in the administrative office at the Pipestone National Monument. She continued to work there until her retirement in May, 2007. Her retirement was filled with endless activities. They purchased a fifth-wheel camper and were members of Cutty’s at one of her favorite places, Spirit Lake, Iowa, where Sheryl was also a board member. She was faithful with her weekly swimming and enjoyed her after swimming coffee with her friends. She was proud of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and every year since 2001 everyone attended the Baerenwald Family Vacation at various lakes. Sheryl decided she could spend more time by a lake and with her many friends if she left her camper at one spot. She chose Stoney Point at Lake Benton as her spot to go and for the last six years, she absolutely loved her months spent there with her second family.

On her 84th birthday, like most Fridays, she swam and had lunch with friends. While getting ready to continue her birthday celebration with her family, she unexpectedly and peacefully passed away at her home from natural causes. Loren preceded her in death on May 1, 2017.

Sheryl was a faithful member of the Jasper Evangelical Lutheran Church. She was a member of the WELCA, assisted in many functions with the church, was on the call committee and was a Sunday School teacher. She enjoyed quilting with the quilting group at the church and was proud of the donations that were made to those less fortunate. This love for quilting continued as she made a quilt for all of her children when they were married, all of her grandchildren when they graduated high school and baby blankets for her “greats”. She was also talented in her embroidering.

She is lovingly remembered by her three children, Lisa (Curt) Houg of Jasper, Minnesota, Kara (Grant) Duncan of Sherman, South Dakota, and Beth (Francis) Ramm of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and her daughter-in-law, Lana Baerenwald of Jasper. She was further blessed with grandchildren and great grandchildren, Allison (Ben) Steinwand, Archer and Rhodes, Ryan (Becca) Houg, Levi, Liam and Lara, Adam (Abby) Houg, Hattie, Edison and Calvin, Lauren Houg, Kirsten (Logan) Houg, Samantha Smith, Raylan, Mitchell (Alexis) Duncan, Knox and Jacqueline, Brett (Kailyn) Baerenwald, Olin, Rose Baerenwald, Joshua Baerenwald, Logan (Isabel) Ramm, Elizabeth Ramm, Rachel (Blake) Kuiken, Archer, Hope, LeRoy, and Felix. Siblings, Gary (Judy) Winter, Maurine (Pete) Bisson and many other family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Loren; her son, Joel; her parents, Wilson and Erna Winter; her brother, Steven Winter; and her parents-in-law, George and Elsie Baerenwald; brother-in-law, Lyle Baerenwald; and sister-in- law, Linda Baerenwald.