Valeria C. (Buerman) Oehrlein, 94, of Albany, passed away peacefully Oct. 24, 2024, at Mother of Mercy Senior Living.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at the Church of Seven Dolors in Albany with the Rev. Edward Vebelun officiating. Family and friends are welcome to start gathering at 11 a.m. and stay for a luncheon after Mass. Interment will take place at the parish cemetery.
Born on May 1, 1930, Valeria spent her childhood in Farming. Her parents, Henry and Anna (Feldhege) Buerman, fostered Valeria’s faith in God and love of family. After graduating from Albany High School, Val met James Oehrlein at a dance hall. The two fell in love and married in 1950. Valeria was the ultimate homemaker. Her hands never stopped working. She was always baking bread and cookies, gardening, sewing one of their nine children’s clothes or teaching Sunday school in addition to working on the family farm. Val spent many of her early retirement years helping in the Albany School District, something her grandchildren truly cherished.
Val passed her competitive spirit on to her family. Golf outings or card games were never easily won. She and Jim spent many nights on the dance floor, golfing in a couples’ league or attending their family’s athletics or other events. They also loved to travel and spent many winters in Arizona.
Valeria’s faith was essential to her way of life. She truly lived her life in the spirit of God and loved all her family, friends and neighbors.
She will be forever missed by her children, Terry (Patti), Bev (Sandy), Kathy, Mark (Gail), Lottie (Jim Kane), Mike, Jim (Sherrie), Carol Potter (Steve) and Amy; grandchildren Rhonda (Jed Harting), Kim (Josh Lange), Robin (Matt Warden), Nathan (Amanda), Ross (Lacy), Ryan (Ashley), Sarah, Michael (Nicole), Daniel (Kaela), Jordyn, Maddie, Alex (Taylor) and Sean (Tressa); great-grandchildren Ava, Lili, Griffin, Lilianna, Deegan, Miranda, Jaxson, Zander, Blakelee, Brooklyn, Phoenix, Jersey, Sam, Rhett, Everly, Rhya and Colson; siblings Wally (Darlene), Clarence, Alice Luethmers, Rosie Zimmerman and Eileen Stang; and many extended family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James; parents; and sisters Monica and Dorothy.
In honor of Valeria’s love of family and faith, please consider memorials to the Holy Family Catholic School in Albany.
