Sandra N Woodford

North Mankato Mortuary - NORTHVIEW
507-388-2288

Sandra N. Woodford, age 70 of North Mankato, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 19, 2010 after an unexpected short illness and a hard-fought three-year battle with cancer, in Mesa, AZ.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 27, 2010 at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Mankato, with Pastor John Petersen officiating. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery in St. Peter. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday at North Mankato Mortuary-NORTHVIEW and will continue one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the childrens section of the Blue Earth County Library.

Sandra Nordell Hedlund was born on September 7, 1940 in Minneapolis to Edward and Virginia (Lufkin) Hedlund. She grew up in Wisconsin, the State of Washington, and Minnesota, attending many schools before graduating from Blackduck, MN High School in 1958.

Sandy attended Bemidji State Teachers College where, on her 18th birthday, she met her husband, Clifford M. Woodford. Cliff and Sandy were married in Bemidji on September 17, 1960. They worked and lived in Britt and Sheldon, Iowa before moving to North Mankato in 1970. In the Mankato area, Sandy worked for several employers, including the North Mankato Public Library, Gallery 19 Photography, Golden Heart Daycare and the Occasions Group of Taylor Corp. During her rich life, Sandy held many leadership roles in church including Chairperson of the Facilities and Management board, several within the Sunday school system and with the Blue Earth County Library as Chairperson of the Region 9 board.

Sandy enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, sewing, baking, trying new recipes, family gatherings, watching her husband coach and her children and grandchildren compete and perform, choral music, singing tenor in church choirs, and basking in the winter sun of Apache Junction, AZ. More than anything, Sandy adored her thirteen grandchildren.

Sandy is survived by Cliff, her loving husband of 50 years; her children, Mark (Katie) Woodford of Waukesha, WI, Cara (Randy) Olinger of St. Peter, and Eric (Jen) Woodford of Rochester; 13 grandchildren, Molly Woodford of Eau Claire, WI, Libby Woodford of Marquette, MI, Linsey Blaschko of LeCenter, Timothy and Brad Woodford of Waukesha, WI, Nathan, Heidi, Mallory, and Lexie Blaschko, Heather and Jack Olinger all of St. Peter, Madeline and William Woodford of Rochester; her sister, Shari Rose and special friend, Karen of Portland, OR; and her step-brother, Craig (Heather) Kinnowr of Palmer, AK.

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents.