Sandra Draeger

Sandra Rose Hochstein was born June 9, 1939 in rural Heron Lake, Minnesota at the family farm to John and Violet Hochstein. She was baptized July 9, 1939 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Okabena. Sandra attended school in Heron Lake until the family moved to rural Montevideo in 1951. She was confirmed April 20, 1952 at Trinity Lutheran of Havelock in rural Montevideo. Her senior year, she moved to downtown Montevideo with her friends, started her first job at S & L Clothing, and graduated from Montevideo Senior High School in 1957. She met James Draeger at a dance at Glady's Ballroom in Montevideo. They were married June 3, 1962 at St. Paul Lutheran Church of Montevideo. Together they raised three daughters. When they were first married, Sandy worked as an accountant for Anderson Super Service and Brandon Tire and Tread, both of Montevideo. She was then a stay-at-home mom for several years, returning to work when her daughters were older. Sandy then became employed at Thelen Oil and eventually became the church secretary at St. Paul Lutheran from which she retired in 2009. She also did sewing alterations and decorated cakes throughout the years. Sandra's faith was a very important part of her life. She was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, serving on numerous boards and organizations throughout the years. The church members were a second family to her. She enjoyed spending time with her family and was very proud of her children and grandchildren and all of their activities and accomplishments. Jim and Sandy enjoyed several vacations to locations around the world, including Venezuela, Hawaii, Germany, Cancun, the Bahamas, Alaska and Jamaica. Sandy and her daughters extremely enjoyed their Mother-Daughter tropical getaway vacations to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. She enjoyed spending time and laughing with her siblings on their annual Mother's Day weekends and family history trips. Sandy had several hobbies and was a member of several groups and volunteer organizations throughout the years. She enjoyed gardening, sewing, including sewing preemie clothes for "Sew Special", Flying Geese Quilting Cub, making crafts, family heritage scrapbooking, golfing, bowling, Gracelock Book Club, going to Community Concerts, Homemakers, walking and exercising at Curves. She is survived by her husband, daughters: Kelly (Michael) Anderson of Montevideo, Nancy (Kevin) Knight of Alexandria, and Nicole Draeger of Minneapolis; grandsons: Derek and Travis Anderson, Jeremy and Erik Knight; sisters: Marlene (Owen) Lund of Bird Island and Karol (Roger) Sorum of Clarkfield; brothers: Galen (Mary Jane) Hochstein of Maple Plain and John Hochstein of Wayzata and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents.