John Roland Saeger

John R. Saeger of Grapevine, TX, died early on Christmas morning, December 25, 2015. Born on March 9, 1931, in Kansas City, MO, the second of five children to V. W. and Clara Graebner Saeger, he was preceded in death by his parents and his youngest brother Donald. Baptized in infancy, Jesus Christ remained a vital presence in John’s life. Adding much to his life was the graceful and loving presence of his wife of 62 years Lorraine. They met during their first year of college in Winfield, KS. They were married while John was completing his studies for the Lutheran ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis MO. Following graduation in 1955, John served as pastor to congregations in Hammond and Ponchatoula, LA, Lafayette, LA, and Galveston, TX. Because of a growing interest in hospital chaplaincy, John chose to enter a program of Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke’s Episcopal and Texas Children’s Hospitals in Houston, TX. Following completion of his clinical studies, plus his internship and residency, he was fully certified as a C.P.E. supervisor by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. He joined the staff at Terrell State Hospital. He then accepted a position of C.P.E. supervisor at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, IA, where he remained for 21 years until his retirement in 1996. Following retirement, John and Lorraine returned to the Dallas area. In recent years John has served brief part-time appointments in hospital settings at Lackland A.F.B. in San Antonio and the Texoma Medical Center in Denison, TX.
John is survived by his wife, Lorraine, of Grapevine, TX; by daughters Linda Myers of Euless, TX, and Jane Saeger of Adelaide, South Australia, and son John N. Saeger of Southlake, TX; by four grandchildren, Morgan Myers, Jonathan Saeger, Abbey Saeger, and Mason Blake; by brothers Victor Saeger and wife Florence of Webster Groves, MO, Richard Saeger and wife Sandra of Prairie Village, KS, and by sister Charlotte Klockau and husband Keith of Kansas City, MO; and by numerous nieces and nephews; and by friends, former students, colleagues in the hospitals and parishes he served.

A Memorial Service will be held at Abiding Grace Lutheran Church, 1060 East Highland Street, Southlake, TX, on January 9, 2016, at 10:30 A.M.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to Abiding Grace Lutheran Church for the capital fund or to Joseph’s House, 1730 Lanier Place, N.W., Washington, D.C, 20009, one of John’s and Lorraine’s favorite causes for years.