Sandra Hess

Sandra DaNel Dix was born November 16, 1940, to Everett Clay (“EC”) Dix and Agda Lucille (“Dixie” Anderson) Dix in Fargo, North Dakota. Sandra’s father ruled his family with an iron will and fist; Dixie taught Sandy and her twin sisters, Laurel and Linda, forgiveness, resourcefulness, survival and homemaking, and encouraged them to protect and love each other fiercely. A younger brother, David, was estranged, having been deeply impacted by their father’s darker nature. Sandy’s childhood experiences resonated in her relationships with her family, friends and community for her lifetime.

Sandy was a hard-working student, but good grades did not come easily for her. One of her most heartbreaking defeats was her dismissal from Jamestown College because, she was told, she was “not Christian Education material.” She spent the remainder of her adult life proving otherwise; she was a Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent at Lafayette Federated Church for many years and was a beloved “Craft Lady” in many different children’s programs in churches across the county, supported by her family-powered assembly line.

In her early 20’s, Sandy was quite the knock-out, meeting her future husband when she bowled him over skating at Grand Forks’ skate rink. They married on December 9, 1962, and built their life together until John’s military service took him overseas to Iceland; Sandy took their first-born child, Heidi, to live near his family in Uniontown, PA. Over multiple military reassignments, three more daughters—Chris, Kathy and Jenny—added joy to the Hess household. Sandy diligently nested their family in new locations, from Grand Forks, MN, to Uniontown, PA, to Charleston, SC, to Mokena, IL, to Sussex County, NJ, almost single-handedly, while John completed his military duties and transitioned to civilian life. There they spent the next 18 years, most of them in Hamburg, NJ.

Sandy’s life centered on creating a clean, welcoming home for her family and friends as a homemaker and hostess. She was known as “The Cookie Lady,” and her community ate from the bounty of her homemade baked goods. She opened her door to anyone who would knock, and greeted everyone with a plate of cookies, her boisterous laugh, and lots of love; gossip was reserved for her very closest friends. She would tell her guests, “If you go away hungry, it’s your fault.”

Sandy attended Sussex County Community College to complete her dream of completing a college degree and earned her associate’s as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). There, she added to the roster of her many friends, but decided her true love was nurturing her family, and she left nursing for good. She remained otherwise active in her community through volunteerism in the Girl Scouts and numerous church activities (Good News Club, Daily Vacation Bible School, Wednesday Night Dinners, and Hospitality Committee, to name a few).

Crisis called regularly at the Hess house, and Sandy met it with daily prayer and Bible reading, and she ushered her hover-resistant daughters through cancer, a car accident, and other personal tragedies by clinging to her ever-present faith. Passing years and dementia added patience and sweetness to her tough-love wisdom as a parent, and in the end, her daughters learned to appreciate her steadfastness in the midst of difficulty.

For comfort, she turned to dear friends and a growing menagerie of crafting activities and supplies—there wasn’t a craft trend she didn’t try: gardening, macrame, cornhusk dolls, sewing, and even goat keeping, which suffered an inglorious end when the borrowed goat she was milking kicked over the milk bucket. She was an avid collector of angel figurines and populated their home every Christmas with them (along with “The Three Wise Guys—Larry, Mo and Shemp”). She finally settled on quilting, a talent gifted to her by her adored mother, and she became known for her artistry in fabric. She made a quilt for each daughter, and then grandchildren, as they graduated from high school, while her capacities remained with her. She was most proud of her “Tigger” quilt, for which she received special permission and commendation from Disney.

Children were her life, and Sandy had a special place in her heart for her nieces and nephews, and later her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a lifeline and motherly presence to children in the community who needed someone to love them.

Over the years, Sandy and John continued their life journey across country, finding cozy homes in tight-knit communities in Ann Arbor, MI, in Atkinson, NH, in Murfreesboro, TN and finally in Georgia, all where they shared close friendships and faithful service. They lived the remainder of their joint 51 years together in Cartersville, their most favorite community, until “the Long Goodbye” took Sandy from John until her death on April 26, 2025. Her last years were spent in care in South Bend, IN, where she was loved by all her knew her. She will be greatly missed.

Sandy is survived by her beloved husband, John Fuller Hess; her four daughters (and spouses), Heidi (Craig) Hess Saxton of East Jordan, MI; Chris Redner of Hamburg, NJ; Kathryn (Kenneth) Jones of Plaistow, NH; and Jennifer Jones of Rome, GA. Also surviving are nine grandchildren (partners) and five great-grandchildren: Ryan (Misty) Redner of Sparta, NJ (Isabella, Jackson, Cole); Kendra Jones of Manchester, NH; Holly (Darol) Mooney of Ann Arbor, MI; Jonathan Hess (Brittani Killgo) of Kansas City, MO (Scarlett Ann); Kaitlyn Jones of Plaistow, NH; Jeremy Jones (Elizabeth Duncan) of Rome, GA; Chris Saxton of East Jordan, MI; Juliann Jones of Rome, GA (Isabella); and Sarah Saxton of Charlevoix, MI. She was predeceased by her parents, Everett and Agda (Anderson) Dix, and her twin sisters, Laurel “Lolly” (Dix) Pederson and Linda (Dix) Vallieres.

Sandy’s Celebration of Life service will be held at Heritage Baptist Church, Cartersville, GA, following a private burial, on Monday, May 5, 2025, at 10:00am. Donations may be made in Sandy’s name to Heritage Baptist Church, 1070 Douthit Ferry Rd, Cartersville, GA 30120 (be sure to indicate either Children's Ministry or Music Ministry in check memo line).

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