Leo Sand

LEO SAND

Independence

Leo Sand 96, of Independence, Iowa, passed away on Aug. 1, 2019, at Prairie Hills Assisted Living in Independence.

Leo was born Aug. 21, 1922, the first-born son of Will and Frances (Kleitsch) Sand on

a farm two miles north of Walker, Iowa. His early years were spent on a farm in that area and as a young adult he served with U.S. Navy until his discharge in 1946. With the war ending, he engaged in farming with his family and met Norene Miller whom he married on Nov. 27, 1946. They raised five children on the farm. During this time, he also found the time to be very active in the community and with St. John's Catholic Church. He served on the church and school boards of St. John's Parish in Independence, was an active member of the Catholic Order of Foresters serving as Chief Ranger for a few years, and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He worked with Cedar Valley Hospice for more than 17 years, was a member of the Buchanan County Mutual Insurance Board of Directors for 12 years and also was a lifetime member of the VFW. As the years passed, he found himself on the Council on Aging Board and became very active at the Independence Senior Center. He delivered Meals on Wheels for more than 20 years and continued until the age of 95. He was an avid golfer and a member of the Independence Shyster Coffee Group.

Leo is survived by four children, Larry (Diane) Sand, Lilburn, Ga., Connie (Don) Frost, Raymond, Iowa, Linda (Gordon) Duffy, Fair Play, S.C., and Bill (Sharon) Sand, Dacula, Ga; daughter-in-law, Lu Ann Sand, Independence; brother, LaVern Sand, Independence; and 13 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

Leo was preceded in death by his wife, Norene Miller Sand; son, John W. Sand; parents, Will and Frances (Kleitsch) Sand; and three sisters, Wilma Buckingham, Rosaleen Turley and Delores Amfahr.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Winthrop with the Rev. David Beckman presiding. Burial will be held in St. John's Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. with a rosary at 4 p.m. and a wake service at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, at the Reiff Family Center in Independence.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Croix Hospice, Strawberry Point, Iowa, Cedar Valley Hospice Independence and Senior Center, Independence.

To leave an online condolence, please go to www.reifffamilycenter.com under obituaries.