Lillian Sabourin passed away Wednesday April 25, 2007 at the Christian Park Health Care Center in Escanaba where she was a resident.
Lillian was born in Kipling on November 14, 1917, the youngest daughter of Anna and Emil Strom. She lived most of her life in Gladstone and graduated from the Gladstone High School.
Lillian married Leonard Sabourin on November 15, 1939. He preceded her in death on December 27, 1998. Their three children are Larry (Janelle) of Pawleys Island, SC; Laura (Jerry Foote) of Muscatine, IA; and Len (Jan) of Wauconda, IL. The eight grandchildren are Jill Harper of Knightdale, NC; Nicole (Guy) Loeffler of Apex, NC; Becky (Kirk) Overstreet of LaGrange, IL; Mark (Julie) Foote of Lakemoor, IL; Jeff (Abby) Foote of Aurora, CO; Michelle (Glen) Leichty of Wauconda, IL; Troy (Molly) Sabourin of Chesterton, IN; and Carrie Sabourin of Chicago. There are also 15 great grandchildren.
Lillian is survived by her twin, Gordon Strom of Gladstone and two sister-in-laws
Anonymous
My sympathies to all of you….Aunt Lillian was very special to me and somehow I’m sure Thursday nights in heaven just won’t be the same once the old gang is back together. Sorry I couldn’t be there…middle of the week was difficult. Love, MK
Mary Kay
Henderson, NV
I all ways loved Mrs. Sabourin voice when she sang at church. It is sad to see her leave this world, but a joy to know that she is with Mr. Sabourin and God.
“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) Jesus cares. Although this is the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus’ actions speak louder than words can. He may not answer the “why death and pain” question, but instead he suffers with us. After Jesus heard that Lazarus had died, he came to raise him from the dead. Although he did have the power to conquer death, he first saw the mourning and suffering of Lazarus’ family and friends. Because of this, Jesus wept. He could have skipped the weeping and went right into raising Lazarus (which he went there to do), but he choose to first weep with them. In your sorrow and grief, Jesus is mourning with you. In the midst of pain and sorrow, this joint suffering can offer some hope because Jesus promised that they shall be comforted on God’s new day. Today, Jesus is weeping. For tomorrow, he has offered hope.
“How is faith to endure, O God, when you allow all this scraping and tearing on us? … You have allowed bonds of love beyond number to be painfully snapped. If you have not abaonded us, explain yourself. We strain to hear. But instead of hearing an answer we catch sight of God himself scraped and torn. Through our tears we see the tears of God. … Instead of explaining our suffering God shares it. … God is not only the God of the sufferers but the God who suffers. The pain and falseness of humanity have entered into his heart. Through the prism of my tears I have seen a suffering God.”
Nicholas Wolterstorff wrote:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. …Who then are the mourners? The mourners are those who have caught a glimpse of God’s new day, who ache with all their being for that day’s coming, and who break out into tears when confronted with its absence. …They are the ones who realize that in God’s realm of peace there is neither death nor tears and who ache whenever they see someone crying tears over death. The mourners are aching visionaries. Such people Jesus blesses; he hails them, he praises them, he salutes them. And he gives them the promise that the new day for whose albescence they ache will come. They will be comforted.”
Charlie Myers
Grandson of Janie Ward
Gladstone, MI
Lillian was a loving, kind, gentle lady. Though departed from this earth, she will always be close to me in my heart as I cherish and reflect on all the wonderful Sabourin/Bengston family memories for as long as I live. My love to all her children and grandchildren. God Bless.
Karen (Bengston) Weber
Knoxville, TN