Theresa Elinor Sauer

Theresa Elinor Sauer peacefully entered into the arms of her Lord and Savior on September 8, 2026, surrounded by her family at her home under Compassus Hospice Care, following a courageous three-year battle with cancer.

Theresa was born November 1, 1974, to David A. and Jean E. (Behnke) Staubs. She had the kind of smile people remembered. It was the smile across the restaurant when a familiar face walked through the door. The smile behind a cup of coffee, across a shopping cart at Target, or in the middle of a story told with just enough sass to make everyone laugh. It was warm, welcoming, and unmistakably Theresa.

Theresa was sociable by nature and compassionate by instinct. She was someone who showed up when a person she loved needed encouragement, a listening ear, a helping hand, or simply someone beside them. She cared deeply for her family and devoted herself to caring for her mother.

Her faith was at the center of that heart. Theresa did not hold her faith quietly; she leaned on it, lived through it, and shared it. She believed in encouraging others in their faith and reminding them, especially when life became difficult, that there was still reason for hope. Her relationship with God shaped the way she loved people: with compassion, generosity, patience, and the conviction that caring for one another matters.

Some of Theresa’s greatest friendships were formed across counters, dining rooms, kitchens, and coffee cups. Food service was never merely a job to her. It was the work she loved.

For more than twenty years, Theresa was a familiar face at Perkins, remaining there until the restaurant closed. Over those years, customers became regulars, regulars became friends, and Theresa built a clientele because people wanted to come back and see her. They knew the smile. They knew the laugh. They knew she would remember them, talk with them, and make an ordinary meal feel a little more personal.

Most recently, Theresa served as head trainer at Culver’s in Rib Mountain, a position she took tremendous pride in. She was there before the first customer ever walked through the doors, helping the team prepare to open the restaurant and watching, for the first time in her career, as a restaurant was built from the ground up. It was an experience that meant a great deal to her. Theresa spoke warmly about the people she worked for and loved being part of the Culver’s family. Training others allowed her to pass along what decades in food service had taught her; not simply how to do the work, but how to treat people while doing it.

Many years earlier, another food-service job had brought something even more important into her life. While working at County Market, Theresa met Kevin Sauer. What began between two coworkers became a life shared together, and on October 8, 1994, Theresa and Kevin were married at Christ Lutheran Church in Wausau. Their life together would be filled with family, work, ordinary days, laughter, pets, cups of coffee, and adventures including Disney cruises, which Theresa loved. Theresa also loved her pets as they were family. They were, quite simply, her babies, and they were fortunate to be loved by her.

Yet for all the people she served, all the friendships she made, all the work she was proud of, and all the things that brought Theresa happiness, there was one part of her life that stood above everything else. Her daughter, Rachel. Being Rachel’s mom was Theresa’s greatest joy, her deepest pride, and, in Theresa’s own heart, her greatest accomplishment. Of everything she could point to in her life and say, “I helped make that,” nothing meant more than seeing her daughter grow into a happy and healthy woman.

Her kindness remains in the people she cared for. Her faith remains in those she encouraged. Her lessons remain in the people she trained. Her love remains in her family. And the very best of Theresa will continue forward in Rachel, the accomplishment she cherished above all others, and the daughter she loved beyond measure.

She is survived by her husband, Kevin Sauer; daughter, Rachel (Spencer) Wood; mother, Jean Richards; siblings, Tina (David) Wenek, David (April Albright) Staubs, and William Staubs; nieces and nephews, Marcus (Rachael), Mikayla, Madisyn, Abigail, Alexandria (Shaun), Jordan, Emilee, and Caleb. She is preceded in death by her father, David Staubs; stepfather, Leo Richards; father and mother-in-law, Kirke Sauer, Sr., and Muriel Sauer; brother-in-law, Kirke Sauer, Jr.; sister-in-law, Jeane Sauer; and grandparents, William and Dorthea Behnke.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at St. Peter Ev. Lutheran Church – Schofield Campus, 1351 S. Grand Avenue, Schofield, WI 54476. Pastor Kevin Schnake will officiate. Visitation will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 PM on Friday, September 11, and again on Saturday from 9:00 AM until the time of the service, all at the church. Interment will be held in Pine Grove Cemetery, Wausau.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Compassus Hospice for their care, especially Nurse Hank for the special bond he and Theresa shared.

Ascend Funeral Home & Cremation Care of Weston is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be shared online at www.ascendweston.org.