Paul Sauerland, four-term Hunterdon Freeholder, dies at 92

Paul Sauerland, who served four terms as a Hunterdon County freeholder, died on August 123.  He was 92.

Sauerland served on the Readington Township Committee and spent one year as mayor.

In 1976, Sauerland replaced William McIntyre on the Hunterdon County Planning Board.  He served on the Readington Planning Board for 25 years.

Following the retirement of Freeholder Robert Anderson in 1991, Sauerland was elected to the freeholder board.  He defeated perennial candidate Joseph Shanahan with 69% in the Republican primary and won 68% in the general election against Democrat William Courtney.

He was easily re-elected in 1994, 1997 and 2000.   He didn’t seek re-election in 2003 and was succeeded by Nancy Paladino.

He served as chairman of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.

Sauerland worked his way up from file clerk at the former Hunterdon County National Bank of Flemington, and retired 52 years later as senior vice president for operations of First Fidelity Bank-North Jersey.

A U.S. Army veteran, he spent 32 years in the New Jersey National Guard, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.   He was active in the Grange for over 60 years, and spent more than 50 years as a Boy Scout leader.

Sauerland is survived by his wife of 65 years, Elizabeth Ann, his two children, and a granddaughter.