Loren Sawyer

Loren D. Sawyer, 65, of Onawa, Iowa, died February 12, 2026, after a short illness at Accura HealthCare of Onawa, Iowa.

Per Loren’s wishes, cremation will take place. Interment will be at Estes Cemetery near Tabor, Iowa. Service arrangements will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Goslar Funeral Home and Monuments, Onawa, Iowa.

Loren was born September 23, 1960, at the hospital in Belmond, Iowa, to Charles H. Sawyer and Verlee D. (Fudge) Sawyer. He returned home as an infant to Thornton with his brother, Larry. Except for six months in Hopkins, Missouri, during infancy, he lived his entire life in Iowa. The family moved to Onawa in 1965, and he lived there the rest of his life.

He graduated from West Monona Community High School in 1979.

There are two newspapers in Onawa, and Loren spent his life at one of them. His parents purchased The Onawa Sentinel in 1969, and it became the center of his working life. Of all the paper’s owners over the years, Loren remained connected to the Sentinel longer than any other. His favorite role was photographer. He was rarely seen without a camera around his neck and preferred to stay behind the lens, recording the people, ball games, meetings, fairs, and everyday moments that made up life in Monona County. He also enjoyed talking with anyone he could corner, swapping stories and gathering details for the next edition.

A favorite saying, often repeated from his grandfather Fudge, guided much of his approach to both journalism and life: “It doesn’t hurt to ask, the worst they can do is say no.”

Loren served on the Onawa Chamber of Commerce board and was elected Chamber president in 2013. He remained a steady supporter of local businesses and community efforts throughout his life.

He is survived by his mother, Verlee Sawyer of Onawa, his brother, Larry Sawyer of Corning, and his brother, Lynn Sawyer of Onawa, along with a multitude of friends throughout the area.

He was preceded in death by his father, Charles H. Sawyer, and by his maternal and paternal grandparents.

Condolences may be left online for the family at www.goslarfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Loren Sawyer, please visit our floral store.