Sandra L. Laager

Sandra L. Laager, 63, of Boyd, town of Colburn, went home to heaven Tuesday April 25, 2017, passing at her home surrounded by the love of her family.

Sandy was born Aug. 12, 1953, to Lawrence and Nina (nee: Fredrickson) Lodahl. She was one of 13 children who grew up in the Boyd area. Her dad was a farmer, and her mom was an amazing mother who spent her life taking care of her family. Sandy graduated from Stanley High School in 1971. She met the love of her life, Don Laager, New Year's Eve 1972, and they married Sept. 15, 1973. They began their married life in Thorp, and eventually moved back to the Boyd area where they began a family in 1976, raising their three children on the family homestead raising sheep and running their carpentry business. They built themselves a few beautiful homes over the years before building their last home together in 2016, their Swedish-inspired home they planned to enjoy retired life in. She always dreamed of a yellow house with red shingles, and so that is what they built! Sandy spent the last year making it home for her kids to always come home to, and her nine grandchildren to have beautiful memories to remember her in. Her family was her life. She was so proud of her children, their spouses and her grandchildren. Nothing meant more to her than her family. She and Don also thought of her brother, Loren, as a very special part of their family as they, and her sister Diane, looked after him after her mom passed away in 2011. He is a special gift from God that has taught the family how to love without judgement and to love unconditionally.

Sandy loved her flower gardens, spending time outside and sitting on her beautiful, flower-filled porches enjoying coffee with her family. She loved her daily phone calls from her kids and trying to keep up with all the grandkids' concerts and ball games. She and Don enjoyed their road trips to the ocean, trips out West and to Texas, and even their shorter trips just to see where the day would bring them. She lived her life to the fullest and didn't take anything for granted. She always told her kids and grandkids how much she loved them, and to always look for the rainbows after the rain as they were a special sign from above. Sandy spent the last five years fighting cancer, but she never gave up hope. The doctors said she defeated the odds over and over again. She was an inspiration to everyone who knew and loved her.

When Sandy left this world to join the angels, she left behind her husband, Don; her daughter, Tasha (Greg) Baker of Bloomer and their children, Trey, Dylan, Brodie and Ava; two sons, Nate (Yazmin) Laager of Boyd and their children, Alexis, Ashley, Sophia and Sawyer; and Jon (Kelsey) Laager of West Bend, Wis.; and her newest granddaughter, Hailey born April 8; three sisters, Patty Lodahl of Port Richie, Fla., Nancy (Bob) Peterson of Boyd and Diane Stangl of Boyd; eight brothers, Ron (Delores) Lodahl, Maynard (Patti) Lodahl and Bernie (Shirley) Lodahl all of Boyd, Gordy (Loretta) Lodahl of Lake Mills, Wis., Bob (Linda) Lodahl of Eau Claire, Roger (Judy) Lodahl of Cornell, Dan (Judy) Lodahl of Wausau and Loren Lodahl of Boyd.

She was preceded in death by her father in 2001, her mother in 2011, her sister, Carole in 2015 along with other very special family members. What a beautiful reunion they must be having.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 29, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Stanley with the Rev. Kenneth Schmidt officiating. Burial will be in the Yellow River Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 28, at Plombon Funeral Home in Stanley, and from 10 a.m. Saturday, until the time of services at the church.