Sandra Rae (Hansch) MICKELSON

HANSCH, MICKELSON, PITSOR, BUSKE, MITCHELL, KAUFMAN, BOOSINGER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/24/2016 at 18:46:07

January 10, 1947 ---- June 4, 2016

Sandy was planning on writing her own obituary, but being a self-proclaimed procrastinator, she worked best on a deadline. This time she missed it.

She started her life at the Fort Dodge Mercy Hospital in 1947 and spent her childhood on the farm in Vincent. She attended middle school and high school in Eagle Grove. College began at Iowa Central and continued at the University of Iowa. Her last job returned her to her roots at The Messenger, where she began her career. "It was like going home." She loved her readers, and they loved her.

After leaving The Messenger, she worked at the newspaper in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, but met her future husband, Walt, in the composing room of the Eau Claire, Wisconsin Leader-Telegram. She married him, and then on a vacation whim, they bought the Keene Valley Sun in Keenesburg, Colorado. Later, they moved to work at the Greeley Tribune in Greeley, Colorado. She came back to work at the Eagle Grove Eagle, then went off to Kimberly, Wisconsin, working for the Oshkosh Northwestern. She later returned to where she started: the Fort Dodge Messenger.

Sandy received countless awards, national and state, for both her writing and her photography. Although she interviewed President Nixon's daughter, her most cherished interview was with Willie Nelson who was going to give her five minutes but ended 45 laughing minutes later.

Her time in the Webster County 4-H opened up new connections and gave her life long friends. Sandy panned for gold, amethyst, and diamonds, rounded up buffalo, watched whales, hiked in the mountains just to feed the birds, and rode the rapids. She loved a game of Farkle with Bill, road trips with Dawn, vacations with Belinda, sharing time with Dee, and being serenaded by Eddie. Sandy once saved a life giving a coworker CPR. She lived with passion, joy, and love of the common. Dancing and listening to Elvis gave her delight. Sandy spent her life highlighting the lives of others and fell in love with everyone, but no one more than her daughter, Dana.

Preceding her in death are her husband, Walter J. Mickelson, parents Pat and Ray Hansch, grandparents Gus and Elfreda Hansch and Charles and Lyle Margaret Pitsor. Those left to cherish her memory are Dana (Jeff) Buske, her daughter and son-in-law; her sisters Suzan (John) Mitchell, Cindy (Dwight) Kaufman, Barbara (Ray) Boosinger, and a slue of nieces and nephews, great and regular, with a favorite that shall not be mentioned. Her family, known and unknown friends, parties, and Lilly(anna), her grand puppy will miss her.

She left this life shortly before midnight on Saturday, June 4, grabbing her feather boa and tiara and hitching a ride on a purple sky lantern while waving and yelling, "So long friends, until the next time when we're together."

A memorial celebration of Sandy's life will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, June 10, 2016, at Grace Lutheran Church with the Rev. Dan Kahl officiating. Visitation will be held from 3:00 - 8:00 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at Gunderson Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Memorials may be left to the family's discretion.

June 6, 2016
Fort Dodge Messenger --- Fort Dodge, Iowa

http://www.gundersonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Sandra-Mickelson/#!/Obituary