Sadie Brooke Wilson (Meyer), 43, of Lincoln, NE, August 8, 1980-October 9, 2023
Sadie Brooke Wilson (Meyer) passed away on October 9, 2023. She was 43 years old.
Sadie was born on August 8, 1980 to Richard and Patricia Meyer. She was joined a few years later by her sister, Zoe. Sadie spent her early years in upstate New York before her family moved, first to Tucson, Arizona, and later to Lincoln, Nebraska.
In Lincoln Sadie attended Pound Junior High School and Lincoln Southeast High School, from which she graduated in 1998. She participated in many groups and activities, but her favorites were playing trumpet in various bands, and running cross country and track.
Sadie was a skilled trumpet player. Indeed, it was in junior high band that she first drew the attention of a young Brent Wilson. In high school she earned the nickname “Hot Lips” while playing in the marching band, pep band, jazz band, and symphonic band. Later in life she performed with a variety of community and church ensembles.
Sadie’s love of running took off in high school, where she competed for the Knights in cross country and track. After high school she kept on running. And running. And running. Sadie was not a fast runner. She often finished last. She had one gear: slow and steady. But with that one gear she trained with groups like The Turtles and raced oodles of marathons and other events.
Brent finally got up the courage to ask Sadie out and, on December 7, 1996, they had lunch at Village Inn after marching in the Star City Holiday Parade. They soon knew they had something special going. Brent gave her a promise ring the following June, but it took him until June 2002 to finally propose. They were married on a hot, sweaty day at Platte River State Park on July 5, 2003. Their first house and their “first kid”, a beloved schnoodle named Daisy, came soon after.
Sadie found out she would be a mother thanks to a leftover Mother’s Day card Brent acquired from the back room at Avant Card on May 17, 2006. She met her son, Robert, four weeks later in Boston. Sadie’s heart was too big to mother just one child. In June 2010, Sadie and Brent welcomed two more boys, Joseph and Keishor, into their home, and they were adopted the following year.
That still wasn’t enough. Sadie brought so many children into her home and family: Gemma, Tyler, Chris, Chance, McKenna, and many more, sometimes for months, sometimes just for a night or two. She was a mom-away-from-mom to international students, including Anisa, Maria, Milla, and Artur. And she was a “school mom” to countless children while teaching at Crete Middle School and Parkview Christian School.
Sadie was a voracious reader and she was a member of multiple book clubs. This year she got involved with Justice In Action, an interfaith justice organization, and she was looking forward to helping them grow. She loved South Street Temple, where she had her Bat Mitzvah in 1993 and confirmation in 1995. She was honored to be asked to help with their Yom Kippur service last month. Sadie loved crossword puzzles, she never missed The Puzzler on NPR, and she was a vicious Scrabble player. She was also a passionate giver of gifts, whether for holidays or life moments big and small. She loved coffee, chocolate, and Brussels sprouts.
Sadie had a wide, powerful impact across the community. She would love for you to get involved: become a foster parent; mentor a child; fight for justice; plant a pollinator garden; or increase your participation in any community cause that is important to you. If you would like to contribute to organizations that were important to Sadie, her family has two suggestions. First is Foster Care Closet (https://fostercarecloset.org/), which provides foster children with clothing, supplies, and a variety of other critical services during a difficult time in their lives. In addition to financial contributions, they accept donations of new and used clothing in good condition. The second is Justice In Action (https://www.justice-in-action.org/), an interfaith, grassroots coalition of faith communities in Lancaster County, Nebraska.
Sadie was preceded in death by her grandparents, Robert and Lilian Meyer, and Jack and Leila Sweet. She is survived by her husband, Brent; sons Joseph, Robert, and Keishor; parents Richard and Patricia Meyer; sister and brother-in-law Zoe and Jason Gastelum, and their children Hayden and Holden; father-in-law and mother-in-law Wayne and Deborah Wilson; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Brooke and Michael Fine, and their children Morgan and Samuel; and countless children and friends whose lives she touched.
A celebration of life will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at Noon at Camp Shiloh (https://campsonshinememories.org/camp-sonshine-3/ – NOTE THE DRIVING DIRECTIONS). A light lunch will be provided. To honor Sadie’s love of baking and desserts, please bring YOUR favorite dessert, bread, or other baked good to share. It can be anything: homemade challah; Grandma’s famous cinnamon rolls; grocery store apple pie; or even a box of Twinkies. Whatever you love and you want to share with others.