ANNE ELIZABETH GARST STIMBLE (SASKO)

Anne Elizabeth Garst Stimble (Sasko) was born at home on August 14, 1933 to James and Mary Garst in Bluefield, West Virginia. She was the youngest of four children and grew up in the company of her two brothers, James Jr. and Thomas, and sister, Eleanor. Most of her youth was spent in High Point, North Carolina, where she graduated from high school in 1951 ranked 16 ^th in her class.

Anne pursued a journalism degree at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Her excellence in English, grammar and writing as well as her love of reading made journalism an easy career choice. She was an avid reader and loved mysteries. Throughout her life, it was a rare moment to find her without a book.

In college, Anne was very active in her sorority, Delta Delta Delta, and worked on the school newspaper. She later wrote features for The Missourian - a school newspaper published for the city. After graduation in 1954, she went to work as a feature reporter for the Columbia Tribune. She met her husband, Don Stimble, on a blind date and they were married November 20, 1955, at Calvary Episcopal Church in Columbia, Mo. A few years later, Don was called to serve in the Army ROTC, and the couple moved to Fort Sill, in Lawton, Oklahoma, where they had daughter Cynthia in 1957. After being discharged, they moved to Chicago, where Don worked in the advertising business. During this time, daughter Sharon (1958) and son, Eugene (1964) were born

In 1967, Don bought the Fulton Daily Sun Gazette, and the family moved to Fulton, Missouri. Anne was primarily a homemaker, but would help out at the newspaper reporting and writing feature stories. She enjoyed taking art classes at the local college and became friends with and supported local artists. She was a charter member and first president of the Art Guild in Fulton. Anne and Don loved opera and never missed an opportunity to attend. They loved to play tennis and enjoyed entertaining friends. In 1982, after seeing their youngest child off to college, they sold the newspaper and retired to Kimberling City, MO.

Anne and Don spent their retirement years on Table Rock Lake entertaining family and friends and enjoying all that Branson had to offer. They welcomed their first three grandchildren into the world before Don's death in 1992. In 1997, Anne married Rudy Sasko. Among other things, she and Rudy were avid bridge players and enjoyed competing in tournaments together. They also enjoyed playing tennis and socializing with friends at the Elks Club. Anne was a member of the local book club and served on the local Water Board for 7 years.  She remained in Kimberling City until April 2020, when she moved to Broken Arrow, OK to be close to her family. Rudy died in June of that same year. She was cared for by her children until her death on June 1, 2021, at the age of 87.

Anne's truest vocation as a wife and mother was her greatest joy in life. She was an inspiration of love, courage, and grace to her children and grandchildren. She encouraged them throughout her life and always saw their true goodness and potential. She was proud of their talents and all their accomplishments and was always present in their lives.

As a young girl, Anne found her own way into the Anglican Church and practiced her faith devoutly throughout her life. She gave a strong witness of her faith to her children and grandchildren as well as to her husband, Don, who later became an Anglican priest.

Anne was preceded in death by her husband, Don Stimble and 2 ^nd husband, Rudy Sasko; her parents, Mary and James Garst; her brother, James Garst Jr. and his son, James III; her brother, Thomas Garst; and sister, Eleanor (Garst) Ponce.

She is survived by daughter Cynthia Devaney, her husband, Michael, and their two children, Max Devaney (Rachel) and Grace Devaney Brewer (Scott); her daughter Sharon Cook, her husband, Tom, and their four children, Andrea Pfauth (Aaron) and their daughter, Gemma; Elaine, Michael, and James; son Eugene, his wife, Nancy, and their four children, Donald, Mattie, Patrick, and Nicholas; her niece Laura Garst (daughter of James Garst Jr.), who inherited the Garst family farm in Catawba, Virginia and her three children, Cynthia, Daniel, and James; her nephew Thomas Garst (son of James Garst Jr.); as well as the children of her brother Thomas Garst and her sister Eleanor (Garst) Ponce.  Anne will be buried in Catawba Cemetery just down the road from the farm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Anne's church of many years, St. Francis Anglican Church, RR 3, Ava, MO 65608 and/or All Saints Anglican Church, 4040 E 91st St, Tulsa, OK, where she received much comfort from Fr. Jaime Torres in the last year of her life.