Red Sabers

Red (Edwin) Sabers age 99, left this world on May 1, surrounded by his loving family at Ennoble Manor, Dubuque, Iowa. A Rite of Christian Burial will be held at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Military honors will be accorded. Due to state and local guidelines regarding COVID-19, there will be no public services. The Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory is entrusted with arrangements. Red was born October 10, 1920 in New Vienna, to Anton and Adelheid (Lies) Sabers. He graduated from Holy Ghost Elementary School and Loras Academy. Red married Rosie Stieber on October 11, 1941 at Holy Ghost Church and they were married for 51 great years. Red and Rosie had their son Ron, and soon after Red joined the U.S. Navy to fight in World War II. Red was assigned to the "USS LIPAN", a small 70 ft. tugboat. He traveled to the far east on the Lipan to fight the Japanese, and encountered a "kamikaze pilot" which was seconds away from destroying Red's vessel and killing everyone on board when a fellow sailor shot the plane out of the air just before impact. Red's log said the top speed of the vessel was 7 miles per hour and there journey to Japan and back to the United States...[more]

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s over 19, 000 miles. What a price Red and his generation of fellow veterans paid for all the freedoms we enjoy today! Red was an exceptional athlete, participating in boxing, speed skating, golf, football, and fast pitch softball, and is in the softball Hall of Fame. He was a renowned boxer and had numerous amateur victories, including being a Golden Gloves champion. Perhaps his biggest victory was when he was chosen to represent the United States as a welterweight (145 lbs) and fight the best fighters from Ireland. The fight was held at Soldier Field in Chicago in front of over 35, 000 fans, and again Red was victorious. He loved his family and for many years worked full time during the day and part time at Dubuque Packing Company at night to provide a great life for his Rosie and their 7 children. Red worked at A.Y. McDonald Mfg. and at Zephyr Aluminum Products for most of his adult life. He loved the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Notre Dame football! He also really enjoyed the American Legion and the many euchre games he played there over the years. Surviving are his children, Renee (Bob Duehr) Edminster, Rochelle (Pat) Fury, Roma (Dennis) Elgin, Rick (Jan) Sabers; and daughters in law, Elaine, Vernae, and Kris; and son in law, Rick Gooden; grandchildren, Stephanie, Shanna, Jenny, Tawni, Paul, Mark, Angie, Marie, Jade, Alison, Andrew, Caitlin, Troy, Keisha, Kelsey, and Austin. Red was preceded in death by his wife, Rosie; his parents; two sons, Ron and Ramon; daughter Roxanne Goodin; and brothers Don and Jim (both WWII veterans). The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff at Sunset Park and Ennoble Manor for their care and support. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com. To read the full obituary, please click here: https://www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com/memorials/red-sabers/4204231/