Wendy was born in Sioux City, IA to Michael and Virjean Verschoor on March 11, 1969. She graduated from Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1987. In 1991 she graduated from Iowa State University and then attended the University of South Dakota for graduate school. She married Michael Sanderson on June 19, 2008, in her dream wedding at Walt Disney’s Epcot Center.
After college, Wendy worked as a senior consultant for Deloitte & Touche before moving to International Paper. Wendy worked for International Paper in Memphis, TN, for 22 ½ years, most recently as Manager Information Risk Management IS Awareness & Compliance. Prior to becoming ill, she was heavily involved in the IP-PAC political action committee and in the Women at IP Mentoring Board.
She was an active member of Saint Louis Catholic Church. She served on the board of the Saint Louis Home and School Association, as treasurer for her homeowner’s association and as a Girl Scout Leader. She often volunteered with the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer races. Additionally, she housed multiple exchange students from Costa Rica. You would rarely catch Wendy sitting around. She loved gardening, skiing, visiting Lake Okoboji, taking long walks in her neighborhood and spending time with family and friends.
Wendy’s strong Catholic faith and trust in God helped her navigate her devastating form of cancer. She fought bravely with help of her family, friends, co-workers and the Saint Louis Catholic Church community.
She was preceded in death by her mother Virjean Verschoor and her grandparents, Valois and Margaret Linden and William and Bertha Verschoor.
She is survived by her spouse, Michael Sanderson, their children Lance, Kelsey, Ashley and Oscar Sanderson, her sister Amy Skinner, her father Michael Verschoor and numerous nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
The family will receive friends at a Visitation, on Friday, January 14, from 5:00 until 7:00 PM, at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38119. A Memorial Mass will be held, Saturday, January 15, at 10:00 AM, St. Louis Catholic Church, 203 South White Station Road, Memphis, TN 38117.
Services will be held at a date to be announced in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Sioux City, IA.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MemphisFuneralPoplar.com for the Sanderson family.
