Michael E. Sauder, age 59, a lifelong resident of Archbold passed away unexpectedly on August 30, 2022. He was born on May 26, 1963 in Peoria, Illinois to Charles and Sandra Sauder. He married Pamela (Klopfenstein) on November 10, 1984.
Before graduating from Archbold High School in the class of 1981, Mike started his business, Black Swamp Cabinetry, in his grandfather’s chicken coop.
He continued to grow the business and remained in the Archbold area until 2018. If he wasn’t at the shop, he was often seen driving around town in his “signature” 1997 Ford F-350 lifted pick-up truck.
He always joked about putting 1,000,000 miles on the truck and at the time of his passing he was about 100,000 miles shy.
In 1983, he met the love of his life and was married the following year. Because they shared the same birthday, they enjoyed celebrating together every year.
Growing up, Mike enjoyed working on his grandfathers’ farms, mowing lawns, and participating in youth mission trips while at Central Mennonite Church.
He was always helping others and always found work to be done. He always looked forward to family vacations at Burt Lake in Northern Michigan.
He passed down his love for the lake to his family, where they still vacation together. Mike and Pam regularly traveled to their Burt Lake home where he spent his time teaching his children to waterski, kneeboard, wakeboard, and snow ski.
During his time at Burt Lake, when he wasn’t driving the boat for his kids during watersports, he spent countless hours fishing.
His all-time favorite kind of fishing was trolling for walleye. Along with fishing, he enjoyed hunting. He took many trips around the United States and Canada where he hunted various big game, and always loved to tell the stories of how he got each animal. He truly loved being outdoors.
Aside from passing down his love for doing all outdoor activities to his family, more importantly, his love for Jesus Christ was very evident in his life.
He was the rock of the family. Even though he was a man of few words, he was looked to for his comfort, encouragement, support, love, and wisdom by his family and those around him.
He carried a sense of love and peace that could only be given to him through his relationship with Jesus Christ. He showed that same love to his family and others, and was always ready to lend a helping hand where he could.
Over the past 6 years, he loved interacting with his five grandchildren. His soft heart was very apparent in the way he loved on them.
They always got him to smile when they would tickle his feet while he was sleeping on his Lay-Z-Boy chair. We know he was looking forward to many more Burt Lake trips with them in the years to come, teaching them the same things he taught his own children.
Mike is survived by his wife, Pam, and three children, Justin (Bethany) Sauder of Pettisvile, Melinda (Isaac) McClarren of Wauseon, and Darin (Rachel) Sauder of Archbold. He loved being PawPaw Mike to his five grandchildren, Taya, Rhett and Rhip McClarren, and Aiden and Owen Sauder. Also surviving is his sister, Michelle (Dallas) Rupp of Stryker, father- and mother-in-law, Marlin and Marcine Klopfenstein of Pettisville, and many nieces, nephews and beloved family.
Mike was preceded in death by his mother, father, and two infant brothers.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, September 7, at 4PM at Pettisville Missionary Church. Private interment will be in the Pettisville Cemetery. Friends may call at the church on Tuesday from 2-8 PM.
Short Funeral Home in Archbold has been entrusted with the arrangements. The family suggests that memorials be given to the donor’s favorite charity.
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