Michelle
Remember Me
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
Information for the Funeral Service for Sandra Kay Andersen
Personal Information:
Sandra Kay Andersen was the oldest of 6 children both to Ronald and Eleanor Shields. Sandy has 3 sisters: Linda, Bonnie, and Jan; and 2 brothers: Roger and Rick. Family meant everything to Sandy. And she always made sure to keep in touch with all of her siblings, no matter what stage they were in in their lives.
Sandy grew up in Grand Haven. She attended Ferry school, which was just down from their house on Slayton, and she graduated from Grand Haven High School in 1959.
In 1967, Sandy married Raymond James Andersen at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Grand Rapids. And although they have only one daughter together, Michelle, Sandy was like a second Mom to many of Michelle’s friends. One of Sandy’s biggest joys in life was her grandsons Knoel and Kaden. They affectionately called her Grandma Sandy. She’s also been like an “honorary” Grandma to children of neighbors and friends.
Favorite Activities:
Sandy loved to “shop ‘til she dropped,” even after she had been diagnosed with cancer. On her good days, she would be like the Energizer Bunny. By that I mean she would go, go, go until she could go no longer. She enjoyed daydreaming about her new house in Spring Lake and how she could decorate it. She loved the idea of learning to cook so she could entertain friends and family in her new home. Sandy enjoyed tinkering around in her flower beds at her home in Hudsonville. And spending time with friends by going out to lunch or dinner. Spoiling her only two grandsons, Knoel and Kaden, was also at the top of her list of things she loved to do frequently.
Sandy brought joy to many people in many ways. She had such a giving, loving spirit. This was true of people she knew, as well as strangers. Once, while shopping in JCPenney’s, she came across a woman who could not afford a new bra, so Sandy bought a few for her. While on a trip in Chicago with her daughter Michelle and grandson’s Knoel and Kaden, they were eating outside at Gino’s East Pizza. A less-fortunate lady stopped by the table to admire the pizza, so Sandy had what was left of the pizza boxed up and given to her. This simple act of kindness touched so many people that day: Michelle, Knoel, Kaden, and even others who sat around them. One of the ladies sitting nearby went out of her way to tell Michelle what a fantastic thing her mother just did and how much it touched her heart. Sandy volunteered her time at Olds Manor; bringing her elderly friends fresh fruit, fingernail polish, and magazines to read.