Shannon Sayer

Shannon L. Sayer passed away June 13, 2022 at her home in Rochester, MN. Shannon Louise (Lott) Sayer was born in Evanston, IL & spent the first two & a half weeks of her life in the NICU. She was raised in Ames, Iowa, along with her brother, Ryan. As a child she loved playing outside with other kids & loved playing sports. She attended public schools in Ames & graduated from Ames High School in 1996. Shannon always had a strong work ethic & enjoyed working while going to school. The Summer between high school & college proved to be an important time for Shannon. During these months she met & began dating her future husband, Travis. They instantly had a strong connection & similar values, & they were married two years later, in 1998. At the time of her death, they had been happily married for over 23 years. Shannon attended Iowa State university & graduated with a bachelor's degree in Community Health Education in 2000. She then began working in the activities department at Calvin Community in Des Moines. She loved elderly people & enjoyed keeping them as active & as happy as possible. She had a deep connection with her Grandma Aulda, who lived in Lytton, Iowa, as well as her Grandma & Grandpa Estrem in Ames. Some of her most precious memories were spending time with her grandparents. In 2001 Shannon enrolled in graduate school at ISU. Her dream was to become a gerontology professor, to share her love of the elderly with the younger generations. In 2003 Shannon's life changed dramatically, as she suffered a near fatal case of necrotizing pancreatitis. While she survived, her life would never be the same. She endured malnutrition, fatigue, & pain, but strived to live the best life possible. In 2017, Shannon's dream of becoming a mother came true. She & Travis adopted their precious newborn son, Jayden, & she loved him dearly. Her most precious life experiences were spending time with Jayden. Shannon loved spending time with family and friends. She also loved to travel. Some of her favorite destinations were Hawaii, Yellowstone National Park, & New York City. She also enjoyed cheering for the ISU Cyclones & the New York Yankees. She had strong faith in our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ & had firm Christian values & beliefs. She is Survived by her husband Travis, son Jayden, her Parents Marc & Shelley Lott, & brother Ryan (Holly) Lott. Shannon will be remembered for being kind. She lived her life by the saying, "in a world where you can be anything, choose to be kind". She was also very thoughtful & generous. A major theme in her life has been overcoming adversity. Despite the many health challenges & pain she dealt with for many years, she maintained a positive attitude & kept a kind heart. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, June 17, 2022 at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Ames, Iowa. Visitation will on Thursday, June 16, 2022 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the church. Burial will be at Garfield Cemetery in Lytton, Iowa. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Sayer family; to share a special memory of condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.