Sara Jane Wolfe

Sara Jane Wolfe, 75, died Nov. 4, 2026, in Yakima, with her family at her side.

Sara was born Aug. 5, 1951, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Don and Margarett Edinger, and grew up in Oklahoma City. She lived in Germany and then in Seattle, where she met Ken Wolfe. They moved to Ellensburg in 1986, and she made it home for the rest of her life.

Sara spent her working life looking out for children. She began as a Title I teacher, working one on one with elementary students, and then served as school secretary at Mt. Stuart Elementary and Morgan Middle School. Hers was the first face a nervous new student saw and the one a parent looked for when something had gone wrong, and she made sure every child who came through her door was treated with care and respect. Later she worked as a guardian ad litem, and after retiring she kept coming back as a substitute secretary for the Kittitas schools.

Her friends remember the laugh first. She was quick to laugh, and it was infectious. She could find the funny side of almost anything, including a bad day. She was a little bit sassy and entirely kind. She loved her friends and a good conversation, and she had a gift for making people feel they belonged. She was a cheerleader for almost anyone she met.

Above all she was devoted to her family. Her sister, Margarett Ann, was her closest friend from childhood on; they traveled together, laughed together, and talked nearly every day, and Sara never let anyone forget how much that bond meant to her. She was fiercely proud of her sons, Charlie and Sam, and anyone who spent ten minutes with her heard about them. Her grandsons were her joy: William, who grew up with her as his biggest fan, and Bridger, whom she got to meet this summer. She was devoted to her dogs, Jack, Josie, and most recently Rex.

Sara was preceded in death by her husband, Ken, in 2004, and by her parents. She is survived by her sons, Charlie (Michelle) Wolfe of Round Rock, Texas, and Sam (Lindsie) Wolfe of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; her grandsons, William and Bridger; and her sister, Margarett Ann (Sandy) Edinger of Manitou Springs, Colorado.

A memorial will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at The Pearl Bar & Grill in Ellensburg. Sara will be laid to rest beside her family at Fairlawn Cemetery in Oklahoma City.

Sara's first job in Ellensburg was teaching children to read, and literacy stayed close to her heart. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to literacy projects through the Ellensburg School District Education Foundation, online at esdef.net/donate or by mail to P.O. Box 464, Ellensburg, WA 98926.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Johnston & Williams of Ellensburg.