Sylvia Marcella Mayer was born January 6, 1929 on the family farm near Tyndall, South Dakota to Gottlieb and Margrete (Schuh) Rueb. She died May 20, 2011 at the Butte Healthcare Center in Butte, Nebraska at the age of 82 years.

Sylvia attended country school and graduated from Tyndall High School in 1946. She was baptized at, and was a member of, the Tyndall Baptist church.

After graduating, she attended the Bob Jones University in South Carolina and received a teachers degree. She worked as an assistant to the Clerk of Courts in Tyndall before teaching at the grade school in Wagner. She was united in marriage to Clarence Mayer on September 5, 1964 and to this union two sons, Tim and Keith, were born. She was a loving housewife from this time until Clarence's death in 2009. At this time her health quickly deteriorated and her sons cared for her until she entered the Gregory Hospital.

Sylvia enjoyed reading Christian books and the Bible. In her younger years she would often sing gospel with her brothers. She also spent much of her free time watching Christian television programs and FOX News.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence; her parents; her brothers: Irvin and Harven; her brothers-in-law: Edwin, Bill, Marlin, Earl and Clarence; and her sisters-in-law: Florence, Penelope and Edna.

Sylvia is survived by her sons: Tim and Keith of Naper, NE; her brothers: Wilfred and wife Alma Rueb of Silverdale, WA and Allen and wife Lenora Rueb of Sacramento, CA; her sisters-in-law: Leona Mayer of Boise, ID; Darlene Sieh of Burke, SD; and Iona Carstens of Norfolk, NE and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 10:30 AM at Clausen Funeral Home in Burke. Burial will be in the St Paul's Lutheran Cemetery near Naper, NE. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 PM at the funeral home.