Florence C. (Sandquist) Pfeffer

Florence C. Pfeffer, age 95, of Gatesville, TX, passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2017 in Gatesville. Memorial services will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 25, 2017 at First Presbyterian Church with The Rev. Dr. Buddy Wheat officiating. Florence (Flo) was born on October 28, 1921 in the Township of Plover, Marathon County, Wisconsin to Matt and Magdalene (Kumba) Sandquist. On May 1, 1946 Flo married James Edwin Pfeffer in San Angelo, TX. After Edwin graduated from Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, the family moved to Gatesville in March, 1950, where Flo continued to reside until her death. Growing up the 8th of 9 children on a Wisconsin dairy farm during the depression, she learned early the value of hard work, as well as the importance of not wasting anything, a value she passed on to her children. She got much joy from and was respected for her cooking, gardening and savvy card playing, including bridge games with her friends and ruthless games of “Shoot” with family members. From her windows, she loved watching birds at the feeders and the deer on her property, even if the deer ate her flowers. She was a voracious reader, who always had a book nearby to fill any idle moments. An avid sports fan, she followed several sports teams, but especially enjoyed watching college and pro football games, and the Baylor Lady Bears basketball team on tv. She always amazed the men in the family with her sports knowledge, as well as which players were best/injured/traded, etc. Flo had many interests and loves, but above all, she loved her family and her friends. Being a Scandinavian “Yankee”, she wasn’t always verbally demonstrative, but her love was shown in her actions. For example, she loved to share her cooking/baking with friends and neighbors, such as her banana muffins, and always fulfilled family requests for favorite foods, such as her spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and dumplings, orange pudding, Texas Pecan Cake, etc. She loved her pretty dishes, and used them to make the holidays special with beautiful table settings and a feast of traditional foods. We will all miss her cooking, her smile, her loving hugs, and her “sassy” wit and comments. She was the “rock” of our family, but she will continue to live on in our hearts and in the values she exemplified and modeled for us. We were all blessed to have her with us and still active until age 95. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Edwin, on June 11, 2006; her parents; her siblings, Howard, Floyd, Arstella, Lillian, Marie, Marvin, and Earl; and half-siblings, Matt, Clarence, and Leora. Those she leaves to celebrate her life include: her four children, James Edwin Pfeffer, Jr. and wife, Joyce of Smyrna, TN, Jeanne Jensen and husband, Leon of Fergus Falls, MN, Dennis Pfeffer and wife, Mary of Austin, TX, and Carla Castle and husband, Jim of Richmond, TX. She also leaves nine grandchildren, Stephanie and Dustin Pfeffer, Eric Jensen and wife, Teresa, Brady Jensen, Ryan Jensen and wife, Jill, Derik Pfeffer and wife, Jenny, Tara Paul and husband, Aaron, Jaime Dadd and husband, Steven and Ashley Pittman and husband, Ryan. She was blessed with twelve great-grandchildren, Daniel Pfeffer, Katelyn and Brianna Paul, Linnea, Nolan, Maris, McKenna, Quinn, Simon, and Micah Jensen, and Lawson and Peyton Dadd. She is also survived by her brother, Willis Sandquist; nephew, Melvin Sandquist, as well as numerous other nieces and nephews, who all lovingly called her “Aunt Flossie”. Memorials are preferred to the Florence Pfeffer Garden Fund at the First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 26, Gatesville, TX 76528, to the American Heart Association, 10900-B Stonelake Blvd., Suite 320, Austin, TX 78759, or to the charity of your choice.