Obituary of Sarah Waitman

Surrounded by friends and family, longtime Burlington, Colorado resident Sarah Jane Waitman, 101 years young, went to be with her heavenly Father on Saturday May 1, 2010, at the Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital in Burlington. Sarah Jane Clair was born on July 30, 1908 in Alton, Kansas. She was the fourth of nine children born to William Warrington “Warrney” and Anna Rebecca (Lohff) Clair. Her family moved by covered wagon to the homestead twenty-five miles north of Stratton, CO. She attended school at the North Tuttle Country School in Kit Carson County through the eighth grade. At the age of nine Sarah helped care for her grandparents in Stratton. On September 21, 1930, she was united in marriage to Phillip Jay Waitman in Colby, Kansas. To this union five children were born: Phillip, Phyllis, Eileen, and twins Jean and Art. Sarah was always anxious to help out with corn harvest, cleaning chickens, or whatever her kids needed. Even into her early 90's she continued to clean the church building. Sarah wrote letters for people in the nursing home for years. She cut hair for her neighbors and family. Sarah was always there to cook for her family and anyone in need. Her specialties were making bean donuts, mulberry rhubarb pies, and fried chicken. She spent countless hours TRYING to teach her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to crochet. She was also willing to spend endless hours playing dominoes or cards with anyone that would drop by – willing or not. In Sarah's 90's, she and three of her siblings, loaded into her little green Comet and headed for Houston, Texas in the middle of summer. They must have nearly worn it out since it wouldn't quite make it through the West wall of the garage. In her later years Sarah traveled to Hawaii. She also went to Alaska on a cruise and visited Vegas several times. She was a faithful member of the Church of Christ in Burlington. Sarah was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Phil, sisters Hattie Clayton, Sylvia Higgins, Goldie Higgins, brothers Walter Clair, Willie Clair, Jessie Clair, and Johnnie Clair. Those left to cherish her memory are her children Phillip Waitman of Grand Junction, CO, Phyllis Brown and her husband Bob of Burlington, CO, Eileen Wahl of Brewster, KS, Jean Nider and husband Dale of Burlington, CO, and Art Waitman and wife Lou of Stratton, CO. Sarah is also survived by a sister Gertrude Monroe of Stratton, CO. , twenty grandchildren, thirty-nine great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great grandchildren. Facts Born: July 30, 1908 Death: May 1, 2010 Place of Death: Burlington, Colorado Occupation: Homemaker Services Funeral Service Tuesday May 4, 2010, 10:30 AM at Church of Christ Click for Map and Directions Visitation Tuesday May 4, 2010, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM at Church of Christ Click for Map and Directions Graveside Service Tuesday May 4, 2010 at Fairview Cemetery Click for Map and Directions