Obituary of Saundra Jene Parmeter

Saundra Jene (Hoffman) Parmeter, 75, a lifelong resident of Proctor, died early Monday morning, December 11, 2017 at Essentia Health St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth after a long illness. Sandy was born February 27, 1942 in Duluth to Wayne and Doris Hoffman of Proctor, MN. She graduated from Proctor High School in 1960. Sandy received her Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and returned later in life to complete her Master's Degree in Special Education. Sandy married James Charles Parmeter at Elim Lutheran Church in West Duluth on August 7, 1965 and together they celebrated 52 years of marriage. They had six children, James, the twins Joel & Jennifer, Josh, Jason, and Jered. She was a longtime member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Proctor where she served several terms as the Church Council President and sang in the choir. Sandy worked for several years as a teacher, teaching in the Twin Cities, Hermantown and in Esko. She then opened Mini Rails Nursery School in her home on St. Louis River Road and later transitioned the school into a daycare. Through the years she taught hundreds of children, including several second-generation Proctor & Hermantown children. Sandy loved to watch old movies, listen to classical music and read books, but her greatest love was children as evidenced by her nursery school and by her caring for her grandchildren until her final days. She was also very fond of her "Supper Club", a group of friends who met monthly and hosted dinners at each other's houses for over 45 years. Sandy was a community treasure whose love touched many lives. She will be very dearly missed. She was preceded in death by, her mother Doris Hoffman; sister-in-law Joan Parmeter; and in-laws James and Dorothy Parmeter. She is survived by, her husband, Jim Parmeter of Proctor; her father, Wayne Hoffman of Hermantown; her sons, James (Kimberly) Parmeter, Joel (Jennifer Pearson) Parmeter, Josh (Ally) Parmeter, Jason Parmeter, and Jered (Kasha Woida) Parmeter all from the Proctor area; daughter Jennifer (Thomas) Beauregard of Normanna Township and bonus daughter Jennifer Barber of Pike Lake; thirteen grandchildren, Cecelia & Mason Parmeter, Elizabeth, Marcus, Maria, Rachel & Matthew Parmeter, Micheal Beauregard, Isabella Parmeter, Anya Leppala & Ella Barber,MaKayla Woida & Leif Parmeter; her brother Michael (Linda) Hoffman of Two Harbors and sister Gretchen (John) Norman of Cloquet; brother in law John (Lorrie) Parmeter of Midway Township and sister-in-law Bonnie (Bob) Johnson of Fargo, ND; many cousins, nieces and nephews; her church family, her Supper Club family; and many friends. Special thanks to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) & Hospice teams at Essential Health for their incredible kindness and caring. Service will be held Friday, December 15, 2017 in the Cremation Society of Minnesota Chapel, 4100 Grand Ave in Duluth. Visitation at 9am; Service at 10am with Steve Elder officiating. Reception to follow at the Proctor Moose, 415 3rd Avenue, in Proctor.