Sandie loved being a mother and grandmother. She treasured her family; she is survived by daughters Kristie (Ward) Van Frost, Karen (Gail) Reimnitz, Katherine (Eric) Van Wyk, and her sons Daniel (Tony) Van Wyk and David (Julie) Van Wyk. Her beloved grandchildren are: Sydney Van Frost, Rachel Mueller, Teddy Mueller, Madison Farley, Regan Farley, Clint Van Wyk and Sosi Van Wyk. She is also survived by her sister/best friend Sally Weber of Chilton, Wisconsin, her brother Tom (Lynne) Van Himbergen of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is also survived by Robert Mueller of Maplewood, Mike Farley of Oakdale and Jennifer Van Wyk of Plymouth.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Lydia and by her siblings Terry Van Himbergen, Tim Van Himbergen and Susanne Sohn. Sandie also leaves behind several adoring nieces and nephews and many beloved friends.
Born Sandra Jean Van Himbergen in Kimberly, Wisconsin, she was one of six children. She always said that she liked talking and visiting with friends in school more than studying. When she was 19, Sandie met David Van Wyk at a wedding reception. They fell in love and were married for 61 years. Over the course of their marriage, Sandie worked in several state legislatures (Madison, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Bismarck and St. Paul). She and Dave raised five wonderful, healthy well-adjusted children. Sandie was the funniest person in any room and had a weakness for pratfalls and physical comedy. She once served a perfect game of volleyball in a church league. Always a great cook, when she and Dave opened up a chain of ice cream stores, Sandie patented several cookie recipes and went on to sell them wholesale. Christmas was her favorite time of year and she liked to listen to Christmas songs right after celebrating Halloween up through the first week of January. She had a sweet tooth, and expected dessert after every evening meal.
Her hobbies included sewing, ceramics, reading, cooking, gardening, card playing and gambling. She liked to watch the Minnesota Twins and the Green Bay Packers. The food at the MN State Fair was always enticing to her. For the final months of her life, the Hallmark Channel, where every man is handsome and it’s always Christmas, was on 24/7.
After their children were out of the house and she retired, Dave and Sandie were able to enjoy the golden years together. They loved their place on Leech Lake and Sandie spent a lot of time fishing with Dave. They took several trips to Las Vegas, where Sandie was known to stay up all night at the slots. They also got to travel to New York, the Bahamas, Hawaii, Mexico and Italy.
After her diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia, Sandie went on to thrive for several years. When Dave passed in September 2019, Sandie moved into The Sanctuary of West St. Paul. She loved it and enjoyed singing in the choir, visiting with the residents and staff and taking part in activities, especially Bingo.
In May of 2020, Sandie contracted Covid-19 at age 81 and survived. Her death came eight months after that. A fighter to the end, she lived a whole, good life...full of good and bad days, excitement, disappointments, and everything in between. If you were lucky enough to know her, you will always remember her for her laugh and sense of humor as well as her kindness.
A Memorial Service to celebrate Sandra's life will be held at 11AM on Saturday, October 30, 2021 at Wulff Woodbury Funeral Home (2195 Woodlane Dr., Woodbury, MN) with a visitation from 9AM to 11AM.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation The Sanctuary of West St. Paul. That was a home away from home for Sandie. She would have asked for support for the work they do.
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