Obituary of Helen Marie Sands

Sands, Helen Marie 89 years young, of Bloomington, MN passed away on Thursday, December 9, 2014. She was born on May 8, 1925 in St. Paul to Lauritz and Dorthea Maria Nielsen, who preceded her in death. Also preceding her in death were her husband, Herb Sands; brothers, Harold, Robert, Arthur and Richard Nielsen; sister, Esther Vose; son-in-laws Jim Bedard and Bob Johnson. Helen is survived by her daughter, Caren Bedard; sons, David (Lynne) Crowther and Douglas (Sarah) Crowther; 8 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren. She is also survived by step-children, Jeff Sands, Holly Johnson and Leslie (Paul) Toepfer; their children and grandchildren. She loved each of her grandchildren for their own individual talents, and never tired of hearing about their many adventures and accomplishments. She was a member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and the P.E.O Sisterhood, as well as a longtime supporter of the Boy & Girl Scouts of America. She enjoyed playing tennis, biking, bridge and traveling. Helen was a master of the Melting Moment and Cherry Chip cookies, loved by all, including the wonderful caregivers at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. But her real passions were spending time with her family and being at her beloved Gull Lake retreat. Even as diabetes robbed Mom of her sight, she found a way to cherish part of this past summer at Gull Lake. True to her Danish heritage, she never complained, and lived independently to the end. Special thanks to all her friends and the staff at Friendship Village for helping her navigate the past few years without Herbie. Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, December 13th at Friendship Village in Bloomington. Visitation will be one hour preceding the service. Memorials are preferred to the American Diabetes Association.