Sarah Beth Hollister

Sarah (Sie) Hollister, born on September 17, 1940, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family, after a heroic battle with dementia.

Sarah retired from General Motors and lived a life filled with creativity, curiosity, and heart. She loved her family fiercely and they were always at the very center of everything she did. She found joy in photography, gardening, painting, and especially in treasure hunting for antiques. She had a gift for finding something meaningful every time.

On July 15, 1956, she married the love of her life, Merlin Lavern Hollister, and together they spent nearly 70 years building a home full of laughter, stories, and memories. Their love story lasted just short of 70 years of marriage, a true testament to their devotion and love.

Sarah is survived by her husband, Merlin Lavern Hollister, and their five children and spouses: Pamela Jane (Schafer) Wedge and her husband Jim Wedge, Daniel Merlin Hollister and his wife Del-Rae Hollister, Amy Lynn (Kuhle, Taylor) Fleming and her husband Walt Fleming, Gail Ann (McKnight) Klowsky and her husband Jim Klowsky, and Teresa Jo (Fedie, Fuller) Blum.

She also leaves behind her many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren – all of whom were absolutely convinced they were her favorite, and honestly, she made each and every one of them feel that way. She will also be deeply missed by her large extended family on both the Sie and Hollister sides, as well as the many friends who became family over the years.

Sarah is further survived by her sisters: Marlys Joan Heckel, Rebecca Ann (Sweeny, Tollefson, Paulson) Tollefson, Mary Elizabeth (Tiegen) Lisowski and Jill Marie Luedtke.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Milo and Dorothy (Parker) Sie, and her siblings Marjorie Thea (Bauer) Van Vleet and Robert Dale Sie, who surely welcomed her home with open arms.

Sarah will be remembered for her strength, her warmth, her sense of humor and the way she made everyone around her feel cared for. She had a familiar twinkle in her eye that suggested she always knew just a bit more than she let on - and she probably did. Her creativity, kindness and deep love for the family will continue to live on in all those whose lives she touched.

Honoring Merlin’s request, a celebration of Sarah’s life will be held at a later date, when she and her beloved Merlin are reunited once more side by side. Cards of sympathy can be mailed to Merlin's home.