Beatrice "Bea" Zehrer

Beatrice T. “Bea” Zehrer, “affectionately known as Poochie to her kids and grandkids” age 92, of Sauk Centre, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Saturday, December 5, 2020 at Fairway Pines in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. David Grundman officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery. The Mass will be live streamed and can be viewed at the bottom of this obit.

Visitation will be from 10 to 12 p.m. Wednesday at Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre.

Beatrice Teresa Schmitz was born August 12, 1928  in Ward Springs, Minnesota to Theodore and Anna (Pauly) Schmitz. She grew up northeast of Sauk Centre and after attending country school she continued her education, receiving her teaching degree/certificate in Litchfield. Bea taught at a country school in Sauk Centre down the road from where Joseph Zehrer farmed. On July 11, 1950 she married Joseph at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre. They continued farming around the Sauk Centre area where they raised their family. She went on to work at Holy Family School and Sauk Centre Public School. The couple moved to town in 1980.

Bea was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Christian Mothers, County Homemaker’s Group, Retired Teachers Association, and the Sauk Centre Seniors. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, crafts, sewing, and was an avid shopper collecting lots of wonderful treasures.

Survivors include her daughter, Sandy (Eddie) Murphy of Eagan and their children, Christopher (Erin) Appelt and Allison (Jose) Estrada; son, Tom (Sandy) Zehrer of Sauk Centre and their children Jessica (Corey) Hanson, Anna (Dan) Reisenauer, and Rose Ann Zehrer; daughter, Joni (John) Brisson of Gillette, Wyoming and their children, Jennifer (Chris) Baumgartner, Shelly (Aaron) Courtney, and Mike (Vanessa) Brisson; daughter, Jeanette (J) Evans of New Richmond, Wisconsin and their children, Tony (Maddy) Evans and Maggie (boyfriend, Ryan) Evans; son, Jeff (Deb) Zehrer of Sauk Centre and their son, Zack (Claire) Zehrer; and daughter, Janine (Rick) Kingsbury of Maple Lake and their daughter, Kenyon Joe Kingsbury;  great-grandchildren, Reagan and Avery Appelt, Emily Joy Estrada, Marshall Hanson, Lucy, Nash, and Waylon Reisenauer, Alyssa Baumgartner, Libby and Lucy Himes, Ava, Stella, and Myla Courtney, Bo and Luke Brisson, and Everett and Lawrence Zehrer.

Bea was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Zehrer on March 16, 2006; infant son, Joseph Zehrer Jr.; parents; sister, Amelia Seidow; and brothers, Valerian  Schmitz, Julian Schmitz, and Vernon Schmitz.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks you reach out to someone in need, donate a book because education was very important to Bea or send flowers to a friend or neighbor.