Sarah (Johnson) Ackerman

Mrs. Sarah O. Ackerman, age 87, of Coleman, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully Sunday morning, April 25, 2021, at Bishop’s Court Assisted Living, Green Bay.

Sarah Olive Johnson was born February 3, 1934, in Elyria, Ohio, to the late Everett Leland and Olive Josephine (Dunfee) Johnson. She was a 1952 graduate of Norwalk High School (Ohio). A cosmetologist by profession, Sarah owned and operated her own beauty shop in Wakeman, Ohio, for several years. She married Raymond Burdell Ackerman April 12, 1959, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithopolis, Ohio, with Ray’s father, the late Rev. Edwin G. Ackerman, officiating.  Following their marriage, Sarah and Ray moved to Hessel, Michigan, where Sarah became a busy homemaker and mother and owned and operated Sarah’s Beauty Shop. She also assisted her husband and brother-in-law in running Ackerman Lumber Company and Les Cheneaux Ambulance Service. In 1969, Ray transferred to Krause Lumber Company and Sarah and Ray and family moved to Coleman.

She was an extremely sweet, generous, and caring person who loved to help others. Sarah was a devoted wife and loving mother and grandmother who worked tirelessly and doted on each one of her children and grandchildren. She was a crafty person and enjoyed doing ceramics, decoupage, and Italian Cutwork embroidery.  Sarah made pinecone wreaths, as well as a variety of Christmas ornaments. She gifted her family and friends with many beautiful handmade items over the years. Sarah also loved to donate her many crafts to the St. Francis Catholic Church Bazaar in Coleman and would make a complete Nativity set each year for their  raffle. It was always the hot topic of what Christmas ornaments Sarah would contribute each year as she came up with many unique designs which sold quickly. She was quite musical and enjoyed singing hymns and playing the piano, primarily by ear. Sarah was an excellent cook and made many delicious meals for her large family with dinner on the table every night at 6:00 p.m. She passed on her recipes and know-how for her many varieties of Christmas cookies, especially her cut-out cookies, which were always in great demand, and for her great-grandmother’s Swedish Brown Bread and Banana Bread recipes, to name just a few.

For 14 years, Sarah lovingly and faithfully cared for her husband Ray at their home after he became a paraplegic in 1985. What joy we have in our hearts today to know that she is reunited in Heaven with him and her children, Mirium and Russel, as well as her parents and other family. She missed them all so very much.

Sarah was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Cedarville, Michigan, and the Granville (Ohio) Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She enjoyed attending First Baptist Church in Pound for many years and cherished the many friends that she made there.

Surviving are her children, Raymond B., Jr. (Sarah) Ackerman of DeWitt, Iowa, Margareta E. (Jens) Blegvad of Newark, Ohio, Stephanie L. (Leo) Macedo and Edwin G. Ackerman II, all of Green Bay; grandchildren, Emily E. Blegvad (fiancé, Heath Monroe) of Westerville, Ohio, Majriela L. Macedo of Green Bay, Raymond B. Ackerman III and Kyle P. Ackerman, both of DeWitt, Iowa; sisters-in-law, Phyllis E. DeLooff and Carol R. Ackerman, both of Pickerington, Ohio, and Marjorie K. Ackerman of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; a cousin, Linda Frey; and her dear friend of 52 years, Judy Lundgren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Raymond B. Ackerman on June 17, 1999; children, Mirium Louise on March 31, 1963 and Russel Stephen on September 16, 1965; her brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Ray Leland and Penny Johnson; brothers-in-law, Dr. Leonard J. DeLooff, DO and William G. Ackerman; and father-in-law and mother-in-law, the Rev. Edwin G. and Edith R. Ackerman.

Friends may call from 5:00 until 6:45 p.m. Thursday, April 29, 2021, at First American Lutheran Church, 511 Madison Street, Oconto, Wisconsin.  A Sevice of Christian Burial will be at 7:00 p.m. Thursday in the Church with the Rev. Earl Vorpagel III officiating.  The family will also receive friends from 10:00 until 10:45 a.m. Saturday, May 1, 2021, at Bethel Lutheran Church, 217 M-129, Cedarville, Michigan.  A Service of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday in the Church with Rev. George Kaiser officiating. Burial will take place in Edgewood Cedar Cemetery, Cedarville, where Sarah will be laid to rest next to her husband.

Pallbearers will be Ed Ackerman, Raymond Ackerman III, Kyle Ackerman, Jens Blegvad, Leo Macedo and Heath Monroe. 

The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the staff and nurses at Bishop’s Court, especially to her nurse Tom Gellin, who Sarah really loved, and her nurse Lucinda Smallwood, who was with Sarah during her last moments.  Also to Jim Martell and Betsy Lesandrini at Hansen-Onion-Martell Funeral Home, Marinette for their care and support.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Sarah’s memory may be made to Bethel Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 87, Cedarville, Michigan 49719.

"Children of the Heavenly Father, safely in His bosom gather." 

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