Dana C. ERNST

Dana C. ERNST, 60, of Culpeper, VA, formerly of Port Allegany, PA, died Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Culpeper Medical Center. 

Born January 30, 1965, in Norristown, PA, she was the daughter of Fred Wilson and Claire Marie McBurney Ernst, Jr. On July 3, 2004, in Culpeper, she married James Sawyer, who survives. 

A graduate of Port Allegany High School, she earned a degree in agriculture from Penn State University. She was employed by USDA and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Dana was a member of Virginia Draft Horse and Mule Association and Virginia Forage and Grassland Council. 

Surviving besides her husband, Jim, are: her mother, Claire Ernst of Port Allegany; two brothers, Fred (Ginger) Ernst, III of Port Allegany and David Clifford (Myra) Ernst of Littleport, Cambridgeshire, UK; nieces and nephews; and two step-children, Zachary Sawyer and Elleanor Sawyer. She was predeceased by her father. 

A gathering to celebrate Dana’s life will be held Saturday, July 5, 2025 from 1:00 – 6:00 PM at the Katie Ernst Whittle residence, 510 Coleman Mills Road, Port Allegany, PA 16743. 

The family is being assisted by Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Crematory, Switzer Chapel, 77 Willow Street, Port Allegany. Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfoust.com.