We celebrate the victory that Sarah Jeannine Landes is home with the Lord after 92 years of faithfully serving Him. On January 23, 2022, she joined her husband, Robert “Bob” Paul Landes, mother, Thelma “Granny” Early, father, William Howard Early, sister, Mary Tuttle, and nephew, Robert Tuttle in heaven. She is survived by her son, Robert Paul Landes, Jr. and wife, Yvonne, daughters Jennifer Colley and husband, Terry, and Cindy Wappler and husband, Troy. She is cherished by her grandchildren, Chance and Kylee Landes, Travis and Kate Colley, and McKennna, Caden, and Weston Wappler, along with many other extended family members who loved her very much and faithfully helped with her care.
Sarah was born in Louisville, Kentucky on August 2, 1929, living there until she moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. It was there that she met our Daddy, Bob Landes, who spotted her at a mixer for his fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, and her sorority, Chi Omega. He immediately asked someone for her number, called her and asked her out not for one date, but three. This led to their marriage on May 22, 1954 and would last 42 years until Bob’s death in 1996.
Our Mama graduated from UT with a major in Spanish and minor in History. She loved learning languages and took five at a time in college. She had many interesting jobs, including the Texas Pardons and Paroles Board, the Texas State Senate, and the University of Texas International Office, where she loved meeting and befriending international students. But she would say her greatest accomplishment was being a mom and a grandmother, and we think she was the most amazing one to ever be found.
Serving the Lord, her family, and others were her most important commitments. She ministered to underprivileged people for her entire life and began a ministry to the colonias of Juarez, Mexico, serving them over forty years. She continued supporting them through the Hands of Luke Ministry until the end of her life. After being diagnosed with Parkinsons 17 years ago, she was determined to continue her ministry. She established many relationships with businesses, acting as a conduit as they provided her with donations of items they couldn’t sell. Her garage acted as the storage unit. She never let her disease stop her from sorting the items and making sure they got to the people who needed them the most. Her friends and family were recruited to deliver items to the car wash, seminary, Mexican orphanage, Austin schools, and the Maggie Johnson Nursing Home, just to name a few. No amount of pain or weakness could stop her from helping. At age 90, when the pandemic began and the need for masks arose, she had her sewing machine moved to the dining table so she could make masks for adults and children who needed them. She was unstoppable in her intense desire to help people. She never ceased to amaze us with her tenacity, humility, and kindness- never judging, just loving people.
We are beyond grateful to the many friends, family, and dedicated caregivers who brought so much joy to her life through their exceptional care and love for her. You are valued beyond measure.
Her burial will be Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 9:00 am at Onion Creek Memorial Park, 11610 Chapel Lane, Austin, Texas. Her Celebration of Life will follow at 11:00 am First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity Street, Austin, Texas, officiated by Dr. Doug Keenan and Rev. Kevin Mitchell. The service will be livestreamed through fbcaustin.org. The family will greet friends after the service around the fountain in front of the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Hands of Luke Medical Ministries, 11184 Voyager Cove, El Paso, TX 79936, or online at www.handsofluke.org.
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