Muriel Sayles

Muriel G. Sayles, age 92, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Saturday, July 10, 2021, at Milestone Assisted Living in Faribault, Minnesota. Muriel Genevieve Lostegaard was born February 14, 1929, in Austin, Minnesota, the daughter of Stanley and Hilda (Madson) Lostegaard. She grew up in the Corning / Red Oak Grove area north of Austin. She graduated from Austin High School. Muriel was active in the Rural Youth Group where she met her husband, Richard Carleton Sayles. They continued being friends with this group, playing cards, square dancing, and enjoying camping trips with their young families. Prior to her marriage, Muriel worked as a bookkeeper for the Red Oak Grove Creamery in Corning, then for Hormel, and when her children were grown, she continued her bookkeeping at the Austin Vocational Technical School. She was an active member of Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church in her younger days. She was a part of the Ladies Aid and Circles, she always helped with the Lutefisk Suppers and Strawberry Festival. She loved getting together with the neighbor ladies to do crafts together. Muriel loved flowers, she enjoyed her flower gardens and making floral arrangements, which won her a few blue ribbons at the fair. She was also very artistic and had a talent for wood carving and painting. Muriel and Richard loved being snowbirds in Tucson, Arizona until heath issues ended her travels. Her daughter, Maryjane and granddaughter, Miranda enjoyed a lovely trip to Norway with Muriel to see the areas her family came from. Muriel will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Survivors include her children, Maryjane (Greg) Doerge, Diane Opland, Keith (Mara Murphy) Sayles; grandchildren, Miranda (Brandon) D’Orazio, Stefan (Kellyn) Doerge MD, Andrea Opland, Christopher (Emma) Opland, Phillip (Dannielle) Sayles, Andrew (Amanda) Sayles, Seth Sayles; nine great grandchildren; sister, Donna (Alan) Clothier; nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, Stanley and Hilda Lostegaard; husband, Richard C. Sayles; and son-in-law, Michael Opland.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, 2021, at Worlein Funeral Home Chapel in Austin. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Rose Creek Enterprise Cemetery. Worlein Funeral Home of Austin is assisting the family with arrangements.