Sarah Beth Seidel

Dr. Sarah Moore Seidel of LaPorte, Colorado passed away suddenly the night of February 19, at 82 years of age. Sarah was born in Del Norte, Colorado, the daughter of Joseph Behney Moore and Jane Elizabeth Ross Moore. Joe was an accomplished chemist and entomologist that pioneered the extraction of Pyrethrin inscticide from chrysanthemums, and inventor on the patent that would lead to Raid bug spray when in synthetic form. Beth was a trailblazer for women in agricultural sciences at a time when women were not welcome in that area of higher education. She was also a collegiate fencing champion for Cornell University. With her father working for MGK, they spent cold heavy winters in Edina, Minneapolis, where Sarah remembered going to the bus stop with a parade of farm animals in tow. Summers were a great relief, spent in Pagosa Springs, Colorado where her father cultivated chrysanthemums to produce insecticide for WW2, on a stunning 360 acre ranch, and her mother raised horses and mules, including holding a Lipizzaner stallion at stud. Pagosa Springs played large in her life; raised up by Great Danes, mules, and a local prospector named Ed Spielman, who guided the family on adventurous pack trips through the San Juans /Wimenuche wilderness. He was a deeply kind man and father-like figure in her upbringing. She was further influenced by friends of her parents, such as the egalitarian and spirited Jean Warren, and couple Judy and Erma. Close ties with Pagosa neighbors remain today. Sarah spread her wings, attending leading liberal arts college, Carleton, in Northfield Minnesota. She later attended Cornell University, where she earned her PhD in German Literature, studying abroad in Heidelberg and Freiburg Germany, and later teaching in Fairbanks, Alaska. Importantly, she also met her husband of more than 40 years, George E. Seidel, Jr. while they both boarded at a house owned by her extended family in Ithica. She and George went on many wild adventures, including daring trips through Peru and Greece during civil unrest, and some of the first American scientists welcomed in China as it opened up. They also had entertaining road trips in decrepit vehicles, and grand hikes with close friends Duane Norman and Michael T. Kane. Trips with son Andrew to the Galapagos and Antarctica were more recent highlights. She was dedicated supporter of her husband in all regards, which enabled him to catapult to worldwide success as a top reproductive physiologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences. She helped him grow the scientific organization, the International Embryo Technology Society, into a prominent academic and industry body, serving as its Executive Secretary in its early years from 1977 to 1999. She was known for her organization, international mindedness, and strong sense of humor. She had the ability to recognize the hundreds of attendees by face and correctly pronounce their names. Sarah also spent a lot of time at George’s lab at Colorado State University, where she helped with his research, even performing rabbit surgery. She helped host students and visitors, and formed lifelong ties with top students, collaborators, and lab staff. In the late 1980s, Sarah and George embarked on a venture to start a cattle ranch, which grew into a large complex of lands, herds for George’s experiments, and a valuable community resource for land conservation, education, and employment (and source of many a disaster to feed the family’s famous Christmas Letter). She spent many many hours in support of the ranch, particularly cooking for the crew, hosting a yearly branding and barn dance, and keeping the company books. She had a particular disdain for Quickbooks! Sarah was also a counselor, known for her strong moral compass, sense of humor, and reminding people to live their values. Her mind was sharp to the end, and she had a deep positive effect on many lives, more than she likely could allow herself to acknowledge. The loss of Sarah is particularly felt by her family. Not just a mother and grandmother, she was a collaborator and confidante. Her cheer, intellect, and strong work ethic were appreciated by her entire nuclear and extended family. She is survived by her son, Andrew, daughter-in-law Yuan, and grandsons Gregory and Michael, of Fort Collins, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her husband George Elias Seidel, Jr. A celebration of life will be held on June 8th at 10:30am on the family’s Waterfall Ranch in Livermore, Colorado. 1235 W CR 80C, Livermore, CO 80536 To get there from Denver, CO: drive north on I-25, then either west through Fort Collins on College Ave/HWY 287 via LaPorte (Exit 271), or past Wellington and west on Owl Canyon Road (Exit 281), then proceeding north on US HWY 287 to CR80C Cherokee Park. From Cheyenne, WY, drive West on I-80 to Laramie, then south on US HWY287. A Zoom feed is also planned via Starlink; please contact Andrew to be added to that invitation: sio2usa@yahoo.com

Tributes

Sarah Beth Seidel

December 14, 1942 - February 19, 2025