Journal Advocate Sterling, Colorado 07-03-2007 Mabel “Mae” Unrein March 22, 1916 — June 30, 2007 Monday, July 2, 2007 4:08 PM MDT Mabel “Mae” Unrein, 91, of Sterling, died Saturday, June 30, 2007 in Sterling. Visitation is from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, with vigil and rosary to follow at 7 p.m. at Tennant Funeral Home. A second visitation is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 4. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 5, at Saint Anthony Catholic Church with Father Robert Wedow officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery. Mae was born March 22, 1916, to Albert and Barbara (Fisher) Lauer in Brighton. Mae’s family was among the German-Russian immigrants that settled along the South Platte to work the sugar beet farms. By age six Mae worked in the fields alongside her mother, father, and eight of her siblings. In 1918 she and her family moved to Sterling, were she attended school at St. Anthony’s. Mae saw many things in her life. She lived through two World Wars, the Dust Bowl of the early 1930s, and the Great Depression. She traveled by horse drawn wagon in her youth, and in 1984 flew for the first time. On Nov. 24, 1936, Mae married Lawrence Unrein at St. Anthony Catholic Church. The couple lived and farmed at Padroni, Crook, Atwood and Merino, where they raised seven children. Lawrence and Mae left farming in 1969 before settling in Sterling, where Mae worked at Rose Arbor Nursing Home for seven and a half years as a cook’s assistant and cook, retiring in 1977. Following her retirement, Mae volunteered at Devonshire Acres for several years. She was an active member of the Legion of Mary, St. Margaret’s Circle, and the Columbian Auxiliary. Until 2005, Mae enjoyed helping serve funeral dinners at St. Anthony’s. Mae’s vitality and enjoyment of life was an inspiration to her family and friends. She enjoyed a good game of dominoes with her great-grandchildren, and played a lot of pinochle with the funeral ladies. Her family was astounded by her ability to remember the birth dates of all her grandchildren. Though she will be missed, she left her family with so many warm and happy memories. Mae is survived by her children, Harold and Dorothy Unrein of Sterling, Paul and Lorraine Unrein of Sterling, Joan and Jim Atkin of Fleming, Gerald Unrein of Arvada, Ron and Patty Unrein of Fort Morgan, Gary and Denise Unrein of Pinedale, Wyo., and Ray and Gayle Unrein of Sterling; 13 grandsons, 11 granddaughters, 39 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence in 1983; her parents; five brothers, John, Albert, Martin, Joe and Paul; and five sisters, Lillian, Mary, Katie, Annie and Betty. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Saint Anthony’s parking lot fund. — Paid Memorial