Joseph B. Sahm

ERNZEN, SAHM, GASSMAN, BREITBACH, HANSEN, STEGER, STOFFEL, CRUSE, WINTER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 1/29/2003 at 10:19:27

Dubuque Telegraph Herald newspaper
Sunday, January 26, 2003

Joseph B. Sahm

Joseph B. Sahm, 95, of Dubuque Nursing & Rehab Center, formerly of 28 Milwaukee St., Dubuque, and Balltown, Iowa, died at 9:20 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003, at Dubuque Nursing & Rehab Center.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Dubuque. Burial will be in St. Francis Cemetery, Balltown. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main St., Dubuque, where there will be a parish wake service at 4 p.m.

Mr. Sahm farmed most of his life in the Balltown area.

He was born on Dec. 23, 1907, in Rickardsville, Iowa, son of John and Lena (Ernzen) Sahm. He married Mildred Gassman on Feb. 15, 1938, at St. Francis Church, Balltown; she died on April 2, 1947. He later married Helen Breitbach Hansen on Nov. 25, 1972, at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Dubuque.

He was an active member of Holy Ghost Parish and Rosary Society and a faithful Bingo worker. He was a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Funeral Detail, and also was a member and past president of the Balltown Creamery Association.

Joe and Helen were avid senior citizen card players. Joe was affectionately known as "Grandpa Joe" to everyone and he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Surviving are his wife, Helen Sahm; a daughter, Joanne M. (Cletus) Steger, of Balltown; two sons, Gerald J. (Bonnie) Sahm, of Balltown, and Eugene N. "Butch" Sahm, of Junction City, Kan.; a stepdaughter, Joyce (William) Stoffel, of Dubuque; two stepsons, James (Judy) Hansen, of Dubuque, and Donald (Dee) Hansen, of Waverly, Iowa; 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, 12 step grandchildren and 13 step great-grandchildren; a sister, Margaret Cruse, of Cuba City, Wis.; a daughter-in-law, Lillian Sahm, of Balltown; and a sister-in-law, Evelyn Winter, of Dubuque.

He also was preceded in death by a son, John Sahm, on June 24, 1994; a sister, Mrs. Peter (Marcella) Gasper; and two brothers, Gilbert Sahm and Lester Sahm.

Memorials may be given to Holy Ghost Catholic Church, 2921 Central Ave., Dubuque, Iowa 52001 and to St. Francis Church, 22186 Flanagan Road, Holy Cross, Iowa 52053.

The family wishes to send a special thank-you to Dr. Madden and Dr. Sullivan and to the nurses and staff of Dubuque Nursing & Rehab for their care and concern for Joe.