Lela Sands

LELA B. SANDS

Delhi

Lela B. Sands, 87, of Delhi, passed away suddenly at the Good Neighbor Home in Manchester on Sunday evening, Jan. 8, 2017. Mass of Resurrection will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at St. John's Catholic Church in Delhi with the Rev. John Kremer and Monsignor W. Dean Walz officiating. Burial will be in the St. John's Cemetery. Friends may call at the church from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday with a Scripture service at 2:30 p.m. and also Friday one hour prior to the funeral service. Arrangements are being handled by Clifton-Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Earlville.

Lela was born Feb. 26, 1929, the daughter of Herman and Wilma (Grapes) Harbach, in Delhi. She graduated from Delhi High School in 1946 and attended the American Business Institute, before working at the Delaware County Courthouse. On Feb. 19, 1949, she married John E. Sands in Cedar Rapids. The couple farmed in the Delhi area before moving to Middle Amana and later returning to the Delhi area. In 1961, they purchased their present farm, the Oak Grove Farm, where they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

Besides farming with her husband, Lela enjoyed selling Avon for 29 years, while making many lasting friendships. She kept a beautiful farm yard, raised a big vegetable and flower garden, and was a wonderful cook. She was a member of the Delhi Federated Women's Club, the Delhi Garden Club, the Penn Center board and worked at the Delhi Library. She was a lifetime Cubs fan. She volunteered many years on the election board. Above all else, she loved her family and enjoyed every opportunity she had to spend time with them.

Surviving are her five sons, John (Lois) Sands, David (Sheryl Schnittjer) Sands, Bruce Sands and Mark (Diane) Sands, all of Delhi, and Brian Sands of Dumont; and one daughter, Sharon (Chris) Robbins of Cedar Rapids; 16 grandchildren, Angela Knipper, Amy Sands, Jennifer Scherbring and Michael Sands, Jeremy and Justin Sands, Brent and Jeffrey Sands, and Natalie Zousel, Brooklyn, Caelyn, Dylan, Ashlyn and Ryan Sands, and Caleb and Noah Robbins; plus 10 great-grandchildren; her sisters, Janice (Dr. David) Whittemore, Connie (Jim) Clifton and Sandra (Tom) Strohm; and her brother, Terry (Carol) Harbach.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; an infant sister; two brothers, Harlan Harbach and Wilbur Harbach; and a sister, Karen Wente.

Please sign the online guestbook for Lela at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.