Sarah Gohlke

Sarah O’Nell Stubbs Gohlke, age 78, of Gatesville went to be with her Lord on Sunday, June 27, 2021, surrounded by her family. 

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, July 2, 2021 at St. John Lutheran Church in Coryell City, with Pastor Christopher Richmann officiating.  Burial will follow at St. John Lutheran Cemetery.  The family will receive visitors from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 1^st at Scott’s Funeral Home.

Sarah was born on March 17, 1943, the seventh of eight children to the late James Clifford and Hilma Enger Stubbs in Cranfills Gap, Texas. She was the first child of her family to be born in a hospital.  She was brought by her parents for Holy Baptism to St. Olaf’s Lutheran Church in Cranfills Gap as an infant on May 23, 1943. As a child, Sarah was reared in the midst of a very large and loving family grounded in strong Christian beliefs.  Her mother died when she was four years of age. She was raised by her father and step-mother, Rachel Stubbs. She grew up working on the farm with her family and was taught to work hard and make her way in life.  She attended her first two years of high school in Corsicana, Texas and finished her high school years and graduated from Gatesville High School in May 1961.  She met Robert J. Gohlke, the love of her life, at a St John’s Lutheran Church Luther League social event in the fall of 1960. They married on March 17, 1962 and had three children.  After working as a secretary for many years for the Gatesville State School for Boys, she then worked for the Texas Rehabilitation Commission while attending college sporadically. Sarah decided to go back to college full time in 1979 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in December of 1980, where she was an editor for The Bells, the campus newspaper. She taught in Copperas Cove, Gatesville, and Hamilton in 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grades.  She retired from teaching in May of 1998.  Throughout her life, she held many leadership positions in a multitude of organizations, from President of the PTA all the way to President of Women of the ELCA of the Northern Texas – Northern Louisiana Synodical Women’s Organization, including leadership positions in Women of the ELCA for Central Texas Conference, Morris Federation, Delta Kappa Gamma, Coryell County Retired Teachers Association, St John Lutheran Church and Girl Scouts. She was loving and compassionate, a devout Christian who thrived on being able to help others. She was dedicated to her family and treasured family gatherings during the holidays and other special occasions or events.   A loving wife, mother and grandmother, she was a constant support for her children and husband, sewing clothes, helping with homework, attending all their activities, and taking care of her family’s needs.  She left a legacy of researching the family history and was an avid genealogist.  She had a passion for doing research and was excited when she found someone new in the family history. She spent countless hours compiling all this information in books and on the computer. She also enjoyed sewing and quilting, belonging to two quilting clubs and sewing quilts for Lutheran World Relief.  She enjoyed dancing, the outdoors, reading, flowers, gardening and working in her church. She loved Robert and thoroughly enjoyed her retirement with him by traveling to many places, helping others through Meals on Wheels, in home Communion Ministry, and playing cards and dominoes with their friends. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers, and one sister.

She is survived by her husband and love of her life, Robert J. Gohlke; three children, Melissa Bendele and husband, Randy, of San Antonio, Stephanie Condojani and husband, John, of Lakeside, AZ, Nathan Gohlke and wife, Nicole, of Gatesville; sister, Betty Haven of Garland; brother, James Stubbs and wife, Barbara of West Columbia; six grandchildren, Amber Bendele Brown and husband, Brandon, Colton Bendele, Bailey Gohlke, Kendra Condojani, Shelby Condojani and Brenden Gohlke.

In lieu of flowers, the family has designated memorials be given to St. John Lutheran Church, 10801 FM 929, Gatesville, TX 76528, The Big Sting, 3417 Imperial Dr., Gatesville, TX 76528 or Boys and Girls Club, 2533 E. Main Street, Gatesville, TX 76528.