Sarah Pendleton Aschbrenner

Sarah Pendleton Aschbrenner, a source of joy for all who knew her, passed away Oct. 25, 2024, with her husband Tim and three sons at her side after bravely fighting cancer for several years. She was 66. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, teacher and friend, Sarah welcomed all into her life with an open heart. She spent her final days in hospice surrounded by family, including her two dear grandchildren. Sarah was born Aug. 8, 1958, in Emporia, Kansas, to Woodrow and Mary Pendleton. She graduated from Emporia High School and attended Emporia State University and Kansas State University, where she graduated in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. In high school, she started hanging around a boy with long hair and a motorcycle. She dated Tim throughout high school and college, and they married in 1980. In August of this year, the high school sweethearts celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary. After college, Tim and Sarah lived in Kansas City and later moved to Wichita, where they raised three sons, built successful careers and made countless friends. As a mother, Sarah was joyful and selfless. She fostered her sons’ interests and instilled in each a sense of humor, curiosity and work ethic. Fun was always on the agenda for Sarah’s boys: go carts and trampolines, swim meets and football games, trips to the zoo and camping at the lake. Her boys remember her often asking: “Have I told you lately? I love you.” In recent years, Sarah welcomed the arrival of two grandchildren. She found immense joy in being a grandmother - a role taken from her far too soon. Sarah loved spending time with her three older sisters, younger brother, and her many nieces and nephews. She made many memories with family during holidays, sisters’ trips, and vacations to Lake of the Ozarks. As an aunt, her loving nature earned her the nickname Sarah Mama. An educator at heart, Sarah worked as an elementary school teacher for 38 years. For most of her career, she taught kindergarten at Seltzer Elementary. In 2000, she was named the Distinguished Classroom Teacher of the Year for Wichita Public Schools. Her dedication to the schools endures through the numerous teachers she mentored over the years. A woman of devout faith, Sarah was a longtime member of Risen Savior Lutheran Church, where she served in several leadership positions. She taught Sunday school, led vacation bible school programs, and helped create Risen Savior’s Kings Kids program, a Wednesday night youth group for elementary school-age children. For many years, she served as a member of the church’s Board of Children’s Ministries. Sarah was at home in the sun and water. She enjoyed days in the pool, boating at El Dorado Lake, canoe trips, and vacations to the beach. As a teenager, she worked as a lifeguard in Emporia. As a mother, she made great memories with her boys spending summer afternoons at Rockwood Pool and ordering pizza poolside for dinner. In recent years, Sarah and Tim became certified to scuba dive and enjoyed vacations to the Caribbean with family and friends. An ever-gracious hostess, Sarah opened her home for holidays, pool parties and friends’ weekends. “There is always room for one more,” she was known to say. Guests could always expect a menu and event schedule posted on the refrigerator. Sarah loved the mountains and took her family on many ski trips to Crested Butte, Colorado. A lifelong sports fan, she grew up watching Green Bay Packers games on her father’s lap and enjoyed rooting for the Kansas State Wildcats. A music lover, Sarah attended the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival with Tim for 45 consecutive years, camping in Winfield’s pecan grove with a close group of friends and family. Sarah was preceded in death by her father, Woodrow Pendleton; mother, Mary Pendleton; father-in-law, Arnold Aschbrenner; mother-in-law, Florine Aschbrenner; and nephews, Benjamin Collins and Brennan Peshek. She is survived by her husband, Tim Aschbrenner; sons, Tyler, Joel (Annah) and Logan (Laurell) Aschbrenner; grandchildren, Ethan and Libby; siblings, Cynthia (Larry) Eisenhauer, Sallie Collins, Gretchen (Stan) Williams and Woody Pendleton; sisters-in-law, Sylvia (Ken) Carson and Cindi Schemm; brother-in-law, John (Deb) Aschbrenner; and many nieces and nephews. Sarah will be laid to rest at 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 1, at Lakeview Cemetery,12100 E. 13th St N., Wichita, KS 67206. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1, at Downing & Lahey East Mortuaries, 6555 E. Central Ave., Wichita, KS 67206. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Risen Savior Lutheran Church, 6770 E. 34th St N., Wichita, KS 67226, with a luncheon to follow. Donations can be made in Sarah’s honor to the Risen Savior Lutheran Church Board of Children’s Ministries at https://www.risensavior.net/, or to Project Teacher, at https://www.projectteacher.org/