Joseph Thomas Leroy Sandgren

Funeral service for Joseph Sandgren, 77 of Hettinger, will be 2 pm, Saturday, November 15, 2025 at Assembly of God Church, Hettinger, ND.

Prayer service will be 7 pm, Friday November 14, 2025 at Assembly of God Church, Hettinger, ND.

Joseph Thomas Leroy Sandgren, or Joe as most knew him, passed from this life to be with his heavenly family on November 10, 2025 at Western Horizons Care Center after a two year plus health battle.

Joe was born on July 2, 1948 in Aberdeen SD to Herb and Marjorie (Hobaugh) Sandgren. Joe was the last of eight kids and so he might have been a little spoiled by the siblings! Joe loved growing up on the farm with his large family. He attended his grade school years as a country school boy at Fredlund School. Joe graduated in 1967 from Hettinger High School and promptly entered the National Guard, proudly serving for seven years.

In January 1972 Joe married Lucy Beld and over the next 7 years, four more Sandgren children came into the world. Thomas (Tom) Leroy, the eldest, was born in 1973, quickly followed by Terry Lee in 1975, Tanya LeAnn in 1977, and three years later along came Tracy Lynn. If you notice, the initials of the four kids are all TLS. Joe mentioned to Lucy when they started having kids, "What about using my middle initials for each of our kids' names". Thus, the infamous TLS initials were started!

Marriage for the couple started in Hettinger but it didn't take long for Joe to want to return to the family farm. Within two years Joe and Lucy started buying the family farm and raising not only cows and hogs, but their kids. Joe's love of the family farm had come full circle by raising his own children on the same homestead he had spent his childhood years.

Eventually Joe and Lucy parted ways and Joe moved into Hettinger, selling the family farm in 2001. Through the next 22 years, Joe kept busy doing one of his favorite activities, driving! His passion for being behind the wheel led him to a position transporting railroad workers between depots. This job also provided him with the opportunity to socialize, and many of the crew members likely heard his many stories over the years.

Joe's love of driving eventually inspired him to establish his own successful business, "Papa Joe's Shuttle," at age 70. When he wasn't driving shuttle services, he enjoyed socializing over coffee with friends, participating in Bingo on Friday nights in Lemmon, or playing video games at local establishments.

Joe's greatest joy was spending quality time with his grandchildren. He cherished sharing breakfast with them and making memorable moments. He was always attentive, offering hugs and telling stories to brighten their day. Additionally, he enjoyed sharing lighthearted humor, often including a well-timed "dad joke".

Joe experienced a stroke in 2023, which resulted in him being admitted to a nursing facility in Hettinger. While Joe hated cats, he must have had nine lives as there were numerous times during the next two years that we didn't think Joe would make it but he did, still able to share a smile or a smirk right up to the end.

Grateful for getting to be part of Joe's life are his three surviving children: Terry (Stacy) Sandgren, Tanya Sandgren, and Tracy Sandgren. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren: Zach and Kevin (Paige) Sandgren, Hannah and Tugger Sandgren, KaLee, Brayden, and Devin Mitchell, as well as Brock Rhoads and Allie McGinnis along with two great grandchildren, Lincoln and Luna. Additionally, he is survived by his brother, John (Sharon), sister-in-law Evy, daughter-in-law Melissa, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Joe was proceeded in death by his parents, Tom who passed in 2017 and was probably patiently waiting for his dad by the heavenly gates, brothers Bud (Thelma), David (Elaine), Paul, George and sisters Phyllis and Shirley (Albert) Weaver. Go rest easy, Papa! We will see you soon!