Aganetha Francis Regier Sperling was born to Isaac I. and Sarah Rempel Regier on November 24, 1925, the second of five children, on a farm northeast of Enid, Oklahoma. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Aganetha Martens Regier – the name Aganetha being a Regier family name. Her co-workers at the Richland cafeteria knew her as Francis. During her growing up years, Mom's family lived on and farmed various acreages in the area surrounding Enid, except for four years when the family lived in Coldwater, TX., near Dalhart, returning to the Enid area after the Dust Bowl storms of the era totally destroyed their corn crop in 1933. Mom began first grade while still in Coldwater, speaking no English, only German. Back in the Enid area, Mom's parents were eventually able to purchase their own farmland, the "home place", which holds many fond memories for all of us siblings. Mom attended a one-room country schoolhouse, Central Valley School for grades 2-8, and in 1944, graduated from Kremlin High School, where she played short stop on the girls softball team and was crowned basketball queen during her junior year. Growing up on a farm, Mom had chores that were her responsibility – feeding the chickens and gathering eggs (which she did not like, since the hens would always peck at her) and dust the house. A special job was to bake a chocolate cake (from scratch) every Saturday, in preparation for the family Sunday-evening-after-church dessert of chocolate cake with grape jelly. Mom preferred being outdoors, helping her dad on the farm, riding on the combine during wheat harvest, caring for her pet lamb, swimming in the "stock tank" (which was forbidden). She was surrounded by boys, having only brothers at that point – and a dad who was a great prankster. She, of course, was the brunt of numerous pranks, some of which she would not want repeated here and some of which she, herself, never shared with us! Hanging out with brothers also meant hanging out with brothers' friends – one of whom was Ruben Sperling, older brother Jake's best friend. Mom and Dad had basically "grown up" together, since both their families were area farmers and active members of the North Enid Mennonite Brethren Church. As teen-agers, Mom and Dad spent significant "friend" time together, at church events and other youth social activities. From the stories we hear, they were probably sweet on each other early on – both remembered being teased about their relationship by friends – and their first "official" date was a dare for Dad to go pick up Mom and bring her to a "wiener roast" at a local lake, when her brother Jake had to work late and couldn't bring her. They became engaged in May of 1944, on the day Mom graduated from high school, and married on October 22, 1944. That friendship continued during 73+ years of marriage. Mom and Dad's first home was on the Penner/Sperling family farm outside of Lehigh, KS, in a house with no electricity or indoor plumbing and where Mom remembered breaking up the ice in the stock tank so the cattle could have water. After about a year, during which they did get electricity, they moved back to the Enid area and continued farming. During these years, our family grew to include 5 children, each born on a different leased farm – except for Gale & Dale, who decided to show up together. Mom continued to be very much involved with the daily farm chores – as Dad worked second day jobs. She cared for their five especially active young children (we won't name names!), sewing most of their clothing, in addition to tending a large vegetable garden. After moving into the town of Enid in the late 1950s, with all five children in school and out of the house for the day, Mom worked part time in a garment shop, sewing girls' clothing. In 1960, the family moved from Oklahoma to Shafter, California, living in several rentals before settling into our family home on Elm Street in late 1961. To help make ends meet, Mom began working at the Richland School Cafeteria, first as a substitute, then part-time before moving to full time at the Intermediate School cafeteria, retiring as cafeteria manager in 1988. Mom was an active member of the Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church – Sunday School teacher, youth group sponsor, and together with Dad, Deacon couple here at SMBC for about 17 years. As a member of the SMBC Ladies Sewing Circle, she spent countless hours over the years, cutting, laying out, arranging, and sewing squares into comforter tops, that the sewing circle tied and delivered to Mennonite Central Committee. After moving into the Carrington apartment a few years ago, she no longer had the space to do all the laying out and arranging, but Mom continued sewing quilt squares into comforter tops for the Sewing Circle. She and Dad delivered an unknown number of completed comforters to the MCC office in Reedley on a regular basis over the past 25 years. Mom loved to travel – and considered the retirement travels with Dad as their best times together. Once Mom retired in 1988, she and Dad left in their motor home for a four-month cross-country trip and never looked back. Together they traveled extensively across the U.S. and Canada, upgrading to bigger and roomier motor homes along the way. Their travels included various cruises and trips with family and friends to South America and Europe. They especially valued their times with the Shafter Trailer Club, making life-long friends and memories. In later years, when travel via motor home became more difficult, Mom and Dad would spend many weeks of each year at the Pismo Beach RV Park – where Mom would set up her second sewing machine and continue sewing comforter tops. Mom loved her family deeply. After moving away from family in Oklahoma, she exchanged handwritten letters weekly with her own mom and kept in close contact with siblings, nieces and nephews, visiting many on her travels with Dad. She especially valued her relationships with the grandchildren – attending as many grandchild sporting events, music concerts, fair exhibitions, and other activities as possible. She was proud to have attended the junior high, high school, and college graduations (except for one) of each and every grandchild. Mom cherished visits and phone calls from grandchildren – and relished games of SkipBo or Mexican Train Dominoes with the grandkids and great-grandkids, with a twinkle in her eye as she would play the winning hand. Mom loved her Lord and immersed herself in scripture, reading through the Bible multiple times with Dad during their 73 years together. After Dad's passing in 2017, she continued her daily devotions, praying for each and every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild and their spouses by name. A "piece of advice", she wrote in a Grandmother's Memories book, is "to be kind, understanding, and loving, trust Jesus and follow Him". During these pandemic times, Mom continued sewing comforter tops, reading, enjoying visits and abundant phone conversations with family and friends, with a clear mind and undiminished memory . . . faithful in her daily walk with God. On Tuesday, February 23, after a short illness, Mom went to meet her Savior, rejoicing.and at peace. Mom is predeceased by her best friend and husband of over 73 years, Ruben Sperling, parents Isaac I. and Sarah Rempel Regier, brothers Jacob and Ike Regier, and grandson Jeremy Lynn Sperling. She leaves to mourn and celebrate her life, children LeAnna and Gordon Wiens of Portland, OR Merl and Susan Sperling of Zephyrhills, FL. Larene and Stan Hester of Grover Beach, CA Gale and Karen Sperling of Derby Acres, CA Dale and Nadine Sperling of Shafter, CA Grandchildren: Elena and Reggie Payne-Wiens of Charlotte, NC Rachelle Sperling of Llantwit Major, Wales Bruce and Kim Sperling of McKinney, Texas Matt Wiens and Laura Charles of Portland, OR Christine Sperling of Tulare Emily Hester of Bakersfield Tylor and Melanie Hester of Bakersfield Nathan Sperling of Hanford Sarah and Philip Wolfe of Shafter 10 Great-grandchildren: Maya and Talia Payne-Wiens Autumn and Andrew Sperling Henry and Louis Wiens Carey, Vanessa, Izaak, and Isaiah Hester Brother John Regier of Reedley, CA, sister Viola Truitt, of Enid, OK., and numerous nieces, nephews and their families. We praise God for the gift of a Godly example of a loving, caring, conscientious, and faithful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. We will miss her dearly.