Audrey Margaret (Stetson) Sailer

Audrey Sailer, 90, of Hazen, passed away on Thursday, November 28, 2019, at her daughter’s home in Ardock, ND, surrounded by her family.  Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Thursday, December 5, 2019, at Salem United Methodist Church, Hazen, with Pastor Corey Thrall officiating.  Burial will follow in the Hazen City Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Wednesday, at Barbot Funeral Home, Hazen.

Audrey Margaret (Stetson) Sailer was born December 3, 1928 in Bismarck, North Dakota to Ray Stetson and Flossie (Smith) Stetson.  They farmed about ten miles south of Hazen until the passing of her father in 1934.   She and her mother moved from the farm and lived briefly at the Lightbody Hotel in Hazen until moving to The Smith Brothers Farm of her Uncle Charles and Uncle Gilbert which is the present site of the present Sailer farm two miles south of Hazen. 

            Audrey graduated from Hazen High School in 1947.  After high school Audrey worked as a clerk in the makeup department and at the soda shop at the Hazen Drug Store.  She also worked as a dental hygienist for “Old Doc” Chapman and as a secretary for Loewen Insurance. Audrey was crowned Miss Mercer County but missed the competition for Miss North Dakota in order to care for her ailing mother.  She married Hubert Vernon Sailer in 1956 and their only daughter, Sharon, was born in 1960.  After marriage she worked as a secretary at the Truax-Trayer (Dakota Star) mine nine miles north of Hazen until about 1964 then transferred to Glenharold Mine (later Consolidated Coal), retiring in 1986.

Audrey was a very active member of the Hazen community.  She directed the Hazen Salem United Methodist church choir for many years and faithfully participated in the Knife River Community Christmas Chorale.  She was treasurer for the Hazen Arts and Crafts organization and created numerous chalk drawings for presentation at the annual art show.  In addition to creating artwork Audrey enjoyed growing flowers.  She was an avid horsewoman through young adulthood and the family was never without a dog.

            Audrey was preceded in death by her mother, Flossie in 1960, her brother Glenn Stetson (Ida) in 1980 and husband Hubert in 2010.  She is survived by her daughter, Sharon Schmidt (Richard), grand-daughters Victoria Roise (Jondavid), Suzanne Irwin (Philip), Emily Frelilch (Andrew) and 16 great-grandchildren.

            Arrangements conducted by Barbot Funeral Home, Hazen and Beulah.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Audrey Margaret (Stetson) Sailer, please visit our floral store.