Sally J. Sterwald Obituary

Sally J. Sterwald, 86, passed away August 1, 2023 at Shorehaven in Oconomowoc. She was born March 4, 1937 to Chester and Margaret Blaese of Watertown, WI.

She is survived by her sons, Mark (Tammy), Mike (Dawn) and Andrew, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and sisters Faith (Bob) Madzar, Suzanne (Bill) McEntire and Margaret Straseske. She was preceded in death by her high school sweetheart and husband of 48 years, Tom Sterwald, and her sister Kathleen.

Sally graduated from Watertown High School and was a devout member of St. Bernard's Catholic Church. When the family moved to Oconomowoc in 1968, they became active members of St. Jerome Parish. They enrolled their children at St. Jerome Catholic School and supported the school and church generously through charity and volunteer work.

Sally contributed many hours of service to St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store, sorting donations and helping customers. She was especially enthusiastic about arts and crafts and enjoyed sharing her talents and socializing with other crafters for the church's annual holiday bazaar fundraiser. Her creations included hand-painted holiday ornaments, crocheted decorations and cross-stitch work that her family still treasures. She also practiced the art of rosemaling, an intricate Scandinavian style of decorative floral painting. She loved camping, birdwatching and tailgating at Packers games.

When she moved into assisted living at Shorehaven, Sally continued to express her artistic flair and find joy in painting ceramics. Her family wishes to thank the Shorehaven staff for the compassionate care they showed Sally and her family throughout her final years.

Memorials to St. Jerome Parish or St. Vincent de Paul are suggested.