Sandy Willemsen, 77, of Grinnell died Aug. 20, 2018, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Funeral ser-vices were held Thursday, Aug. 23, at Grinnell First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dondrea Walker officiating. Honorary bearers were Jeremy and Kaleb Juull, Laura and Maeve McCalester, and Carver Terpstra. A private family burial was held Saturday, Aug. 25, at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell.
Memorial contributions may be designated to the Grinnell First Baptist Church or to St. Francis Manor Foundation - Hammond Center Building Fund.
Sandy was born July 28, 1941, in Maryville, MO, the daughter of Gerald A. and Fern Hoskins Sarver. She lived in Shambaugh and for a few years in Colorado prior to moving to Searsboro. She was a 1959 graduate of Searsboro High School.
Oct. 23, 1959, she was united in marriage with Larry Willemsen in Searsboro. The couple continued to live in Searsboro and moved to Grinnell in 1960.
Sandy was employed with Grinnell Mutual Re-Insurance Company for 23 years, KGRN Radio Station for five years, and then with GTE in Grinnell for 22 years. After her retirement, the couple moved to Seeland Park in Grinnell in 2008.
She was an active member of Grinnell First Baptist Church and served on various committees while being devoted to the dynamics of the church. She was a volunteer at Grinnell Regional Medical Center and Meals on Wheels.
Sandy held a great love for her family and instilled a loving atmosphere. Her Christian faith and belief in God were very evident. She enjoyed her friendships and socializing with her family and friends. Playing bridge and other card games was a passion of hers, and she was a member of several bridge groups. Sandy and Larry had traveled together to all 50 states and 33 countries.
She is survived by her husband, Larry of Grinnell; two daughters, Denise (Jim) Harris of Des Moines and Tamara (Kyle) Terpstra of Lynnville; three grandchildren, Jeremy Juull, Laura McCalester, and Carver Terpstra; two great-grandchildren, Kaleb Juull and Maeve McCalester; and one brother, Randy (Margaret) Sarver of Hot Springs Village, AR.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a granddaughter, Jamie Juull; and two siblings, Wanda Larsen and Jerry Sarver.
