Family, friends, and the community bid farewell to an incredible woman. This Fourth of July, 2021, Edith Claire MacAllister Sauter gained her eternal freedom by passing from this broken cancer-ridden world into God's perfect kingdom. She left in her massive wake a family rattled, but fully impacted by her passion for service, her zeal for genealogy, her obsession with collecting Hummel figurines, her spirit of generosity (and spoiling grandchildren), and her love for rescuing dogs from the side of the highway. She traveled the world with Ralph, the love of her life, but always returned "home" which was something she cultivated with endless love and service for anyone who would enter.

Edie was born in Lafayette, IN on November 23, 1949, to Roderick and Bethel (Gilman) MacAllister. Two brothers preceded her, David who was 10 at the time of her birth, and Patrick, who had been born the year before and passed away at 6 months of age. The family soon relocated from the Midwest to Sebastian, Texas, down in the Rio Grande Valley where Rod's siblings lived. Rod and Bethel farmed cotton, and Edie grew up riding her horse Smokey bareback with her cousin Reggie by her side. She was a curious and adventurous child who developed a love for animals, especially dogs, and for planting flowers wherever she could, hoping to attract all the butterflies and hummingbirds in the county.

Along with loving nature, Edie also adored school, and her parents instilled the importance of education in her at an early age. At Lyford High School she played basketball, ran track, played volleyball, starred in One Act Play, was on the speech and debate team, and still managed to graduate at the age of 17 as the class Salutatorian. During high school, her mother suffered a stroke, and Edie was the only one with her. She was scared and confused because she was just a young teenager. After that terrifying event, Edie vowed to learn as much as possible so she could render aid to anyone who ever needed it. She pursued nursing and received a full scholarship to attend the School of Nursing at Baptist Memorial Hospital in San Antonio. While in San Antonio, she was set up on a blind date with a sailor named Ralph Edgar Sauter. To say the least, they hit it off, and after three years of dating, they married on Valentine's Day, 1971.

The couple moved to New Orleans, LA so Edie could pursue her CRNA certification at Charity Hospital School of Anesthesia. She graduated at the top of her class, humbly saying, "I'm not the smartest person in my classes, but I am the hardest working." This mantra would guide Edie's path the rest of her life as she poured herself fully into whatever she did. She went to work in general surgery at West Jefferson Hospital in Marrero, LA, where their eldest son Roderick Scott was born in 1976. The family moved to Ingleside, TX a couple of years later so Edie could be closer to her ailing father. She continued her career in anesthesia at Costal Bend Hospital in Aransas Pass. Their youngest son Joseph Cole was born in 1979.

While raising their two sons, between soccer games, swim meets, and carpool duty, Edie returned to school for her Bachelor's and Master's degrees. She got her BSN and MSN from Corpus Christi A&M and was again the highest-ranking graduate in her class. The Sauter's made a home for themselves in Ingleside for the next 23 years. Ralph worked in the refinery business while Edie's career began to focus more on obstetrician work. The couple also taught the high school Sunday school class at Ingleside United Methodist Church every week for a decade. They opened their home to two foreign exchange students, and many people in need of somewhere to live for a while.

During this time, Edie worked in multiple hospitals throughout the region. Leveraging her medical knowledge and bilingual skills, she was able to make countless patients comfortable as she ushered them into surgery.  In her role as a nurse anesthetist, she was the last face they would see before falling asleep and the first face they would see upon waking, and she always made sure to let them know they were in good hands. She not only brought relief to her patients, but also offered up comfort and advice to countless family, friends, and neighbors who would call at all hours to solicit medical advice. Over the years, Edie worked in a variety of medical fields—from OB, or ER, to plastic surgery—but she always had a particular love for OB work because she understood the honor of helping usher life into the world.

Meanwhile, the family took annual trips to the Guadalupe River to camp, and after enjoying several vacations there, Edie and Ralph decided to purchase a "slice of heaven" right on the river in Canyon Lake, Texas. They began to build a house, and Edie's dream was to have a place where friends and family would feel comfortable gathering. As they continued to build, they went through two floods, yet Edie was undaunted in her pursuit of creating a safe haven for others. Not only did their home become a place of comfort and leisure, it later became a refuge for family and friends displaced by Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, and Harvey.

After graduating from Texas A&M University, both sons came home with new brides: Scott with J.J., and Cole with Meredith. The couples spent countless weekends with their friends at the "Riverhaus", being spoiled by Edie's expert hosting skills. She was a magnetic force that drew people to the home over and over again, whether to kayak the river or just sit on the back porch sipping homemade iced tea or snacking on her array of Costco goodies. After nursing, Edie's greatest gift of service was hosting, and she was truly in her element at the Riverhaus, orchestrating everything from summer parties for friends to holiday gatherings with extended family. Edie's buffet-building skills were legendary as her only goal was to accommodate every person who walked through the door.

Over time Edie and Ralph were blessed with six grandchildren, and Edie was ready, arms open, to shower each with love, service, and her other specialty: gifts.  The woman was incredible at listening to the smallest lament of her daughters-in-law regarding what would help their baby, and—voilá—exactly what they needed would appear in the mail the next week. When each child sighed about what they most wanted for their birthdays that year, Edie was on the case, solving the longing perfectly each time. As an avid genealogist, Edie's greatest passion was the legacy of her Scottish lineage embodied in her six beautiful grandchildren, Braeden, Sophia, Miles, Shepherd Wilhelmina, and Jeremiah. She loved them with her whole heart, and it is a comfort to know she lives on in each of them.

Of interest, Edie was deeply patriotic. She was a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (through Myles Standish) and of The Daughters of the American Revolution (through Thomas Standish and John McAllister).

Towards the end of her life, Edie took great pleasure in gardening, traveling with her husband Ralph, researching her Scottish heritage, and enjoying the laughter of her grandchildren. When she received her cancer diagnosis in late November 2020, like always, she didn't want anyone to worry about her, so she requested that her illness be kept quiet. She knew fully what her diagnosis meant, even as the rest of us hoped and prayed for a full recovery. She passed in dignity, in her home, surrounded by her family. Her last earthly sight was her six grandchildren standing over her smiling.

Edie has run her race and is now passing on the baton of service and selflessness to the rest of us. Even in her last months, Edie wasn't worried about herself, but she spent hours concerned about many of you, asking about your families and your family's family. It was very hard for Edie to accept gifts, so in your desire to do something to honor her legacy, we ask you to examine your unique God-given gifts and simply serve others. Pour love and attention into your kids or grandkids. Help people in need, through money or service. Rescue an animal in need. Rescue a child in need. Plant flowers to attract the butterflies. May we all honor Edie's memory by thinking beyond ourselves to the legacy we leave behind.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, July 17, 2021 at Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home Chapel in New Braunfels, Texas.

Memorial Donations may be made to:  St. Jude Children's Research Center.