Sadie Engelstad, age 97, of Hendricks, MN passed away surrounded by her family on Sunday, March 9, 2025 at the Hendricks Community Hospital Nursing Home. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 14th at Faith Lutheran Brethren Church in Hendricks, MN. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 13th at the Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel in Hendricks, MN with a prayer service at 7 p.m.. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at the Singsaas Lutheran Cemetery, rural Hendricks. Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel of Hendricks, MN has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Sadie Alvira (Gilbertson) Engelstad, age 97, of Hendricks, MN passed away peacefully at the Hendricks Nursing Home on March 9, 2025 surrounded by her family. Sadie was born on January 2, 1928 to Cleon and Bertha (Sandro) Gilbertson at their farm in Lincoln County MN near Hendricks. Following graduation from Hendricks High School, Sadie was employed at the State Bank of Hendricks until the time of her marriage. On September 20, 1947, Sadie Gilbertson and Raymond Engelstad were married at Bethlehem Lutheran Church near Astoria, SD. They were blessed with 62 wonderful years together, tending their farm and enjoying retirement until Raymond’s passing in 2010. To this union, were born five children, Barbara (Roger) Nelson, University Place, WA; Charles (Janice) Engelstad, Astoria, SD; Shirley (James) Eggen, Brookings, SD; Cynthia (Allen) Crowser, Alexandria, MN; and LaWayne (Carol) Engelstad, Greencastle, IN. In addition to the many responsibilities of being a housewife, Sadie made time to teach Sunday School and be actively involved in Ladies’ Aid, Circle and choir. She also found time to sew quilts for the Ladies’ Aid missions and either made quilts or crocheted Afghans for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as for many other friends and family members. Many people will continue to feel the warmth of her love for years to come! Sadie enjoyed spending time with family, playing games, working puzzles, doing word games, and, though she would cheer for her opponent, she was seldom beaten. Most of all, Sadie was known for baking the best bread, rolls and buns and the hospitality that went along with that. In her later years, when her failing eyesight did not allow her to participate in these activities, she spent many hours listening to her favorite music and knew the words to almost every song. Sadie had a real gift for remembering names, birthdates and other important events of people in her life. She especially loved children and was always so interested and appreciative of their sweet interaction with her. Sadie’s strong Christian faith was evident in her kind, loving, generous and appreciative manner. (Proverbs 31:26-31) One of her humble comments that she expressed so often was, “How come I should have had it so good?” And now we ask, “How could we have had it so good?” She will be dearly missed, but the memory of her presence in our lives will live on forever. We’d like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff of the Hendricks Hospital, Villa and Nursing Home for the care and attention she received over the past few years. Your kindness helped make her feel “at home”.
Sadie was blessed with 12 grandchildren: Matthew Nelson, Kerri (Aaron) Gentile, Michael (Alexandra) Nelson, Nathan (Cheryl), Eric (Stefanie), Ryan (Sarah) and Corey Engelstad, Christopher, Kelly and Patrick (Helen) Eggen, Aaron (Holly) Crowser and Erica (Josh) Klaetsch; 26 great grandchildren: Kayla (Spencer) Stahl, Madison, Hunter, Theodore and Lucy Eggen, Abigail, Anna and Chloe Gentile, Brandon Daniels, Carly, Carson, Jocelyn, Mackenzie, Annalise, Olivia, Caitlin, Jacob and Brooke Engelstad, Andrew, Grace and Caleb Crowser, Elijah, Micah, Jonah and Ezra Klaetsch and Baby Nelson; and two great-great grandchildren: Nicholi and Roland Stahl. Sadie is preceded in death by her husband, Raymond; grandson, Kelly Eggen; siblings, Clayton Gilbertson and Hazel Twedt and several brothers- and sisters-in-law.