Sarah Jean Reiss 1988-2010

REISS, MCCLAIN, KIRBY, HOUSELOG, SENDT, DEMMER

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 12/31/2015 at 23:03:16

Sarah Jean Reiss, 22, of 6568 Dayton Road, lost her 2½ year battle with cancer at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010, at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City. Her spirit and will to fight did not succumb to cancer, only her body. Sarah passed in her mom's arms with her dad and sisters holding on to her. Sarah was very faith filled and put her total trust in God. She is now our very own special angel in heaven.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 4, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Key West, Iowa, with the Rev. Donald Bakewell officiating. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West. Friends may call from noon to 8 p.m. today at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road.

She was born on April 14, 1988, in Dubuque, daughter of Mark and Julie (McClain) Reiss. Sarah graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 2006, and then from Hawkeye Community College in May 2008, with a degree in architectural construction technology.

She worked briefly at Spahn and Rose in Waverly, Iowa, before being diagnosed with medulloblastoma - a cancerous brain tumor. She most recently worked for McClain Excavating.

Sarah loved to sing. She participated in many school choirs, including the Dubuque Youth Chorale. Sarah was a 4-H member for eight years and loved the Dubuque County Fair, where she volunteered and sang the national anthem many times. Sarah's passion was "Ride For The Kids," of which she was a co-founder. She also was a huge supporter of the UIHC Dance Marathon.

Sarah loved being with her family and enjoyed the simple things in life. In her short 22 years, Sarah touched many people, especially during her battle with cancer. She fought with such faith and courage. Her family is so proud of her.

Sarah will be deeply missed by her parents, Mark and Julie; her twin sisters, Megan and Molly, both at home; her grandparents, Paul and Janet Reiss; her grandmother, Jean McClain; her godfather, Joe (Lemmie) Reiss, of West Allis, Wis.; and her godmother, Joyce (fiance, Chuck Hancock) Kirby, of Dubuque; aunts and uncles, Wayne and Beth Houselog, of Cudahy, Wis., Dan and Missy Sendt, of East Dubuque, Ill., Jeff and Angie Demmer, of Dubuque; Randy and Julie McClain, of Zwingle, Iowa, Roger and Karen McClain, of Dubuque, and Janet (friend, Ronda Hampshire) McClain, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; many cousins and friends; and her puppy, Fitzy.

She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Ralph McClain; and her cousin, Nicholas Houselog.

We would like to extend a special thank-you to our families, friends, coworkers, neighbors and people of St. Joe's Key West Church and community. Thank you one and all for your continued love, support, prayers, thoughts, visits and gifts on this difficult journey. Also, many thanks to everyone at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics - the most top notch, compassionate and dedicated people we have ever met. A very special thank-you to the nurses/doctors and staff on 3JCP and PICU - all of you are outstanding.

Live ~ Laugh ~ Love

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal ~ from a headstone in Ireland.

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Sunday, October 3, 2010