Sara Schoenmaker

SARA LEE SCHOENMAKER

Iowa City

Sara Lee Schoenmaker, 84, died March 3, 2016, at Oaknoll Retirement Residence due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. A memorial service will be held at Sharon Center United Methodist Church at a later date.

Sara Lee Street was born Aug. 14, 1931, in Springfield, Mo. During the Depression her father, Waddy Davis Street, went to work for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Virginia. Her mother, Juanita Hultsman Street, moved Sara Lee and her siblings to Little Rock, Ark., to live with their grandparents.

When World War II began, the family joined her father in Baltimore. After the war they moved to Arlington, Va. Sara went to Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, where she met Adrian (Yon) Schoenmaker. After graduation from college they were married on Aug. 29, 1953.

That fall they both went to Boston University, where Sara Lee earned a master's in education while Yon earned his master's in theology. She taught school in Needham, Mass., while Yon served as assistant pastor in a local church.

David Adrian Schoenmaker was born in Needham, Mass. In 1957, the family moved to Rockwell, Iowa, and Susan was born a year later. In later years they moved to Gladbrook, Mount Vernon, Coralville and finally the Iowa City area. Sara Lee taught for 26 years in the Iowa City school district, first at Central Junior High, and later at Penn Elementary in North Liberty.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Waddy D. Street; and her sister, Virginia Sharpe.

She is survived by her husband, Yon; her son, David Schoenmaker of Lincoln, Neb.; and her daughter, Susan Schoenmarklin of Wauwatosa, Wis.

In retirement, Sara continued to work with children and was active in senior citizen programs. She was interested in hiking, biking and enjoying her grandchildren, Ellen and Aaron Schoenmaker and Marika and Davis Schoen Marklin.

Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home, Kalona, is assisting the family.