Sandra Link, 80
Sandra Link, age 80 of Ionia, IA, died Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at The Suites at Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls, IA.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 2, 2022, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Charles City with Rev. Anita Nuetzman officiating. For those unable to attend please join the live webcast on Sandra's obituary page on hugebackfuneralhome.com
Friends may greet the family from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Sunday, May 1, 2022, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory – Olson Chapel in Nashua. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.
Interment will be at a later date at St. Boniface Cemetery in Ionia.
Sandra was born on May 26, 1941, to Jesse and Irma Ballou in Iowa City and grew up on a farm just outside the small town of Olin, where she received her education. She graduated from Olin High School, where she was a cheerleader for the Lions, in 1958.
After high school, she attended Wartburg College in Waverly, where she majored in business administration with an economics focus, graduating in 1962.
Sandra worked in the insurance business and spent a number of years working for the Iowa Small Business Employers (ISBE) where she really made her mark.
But Sandra was much more than an outstanding student and professional; where she really made her mark was with the love and care she showed for her family and friends, who will tell you that what they will remember most about their mom and friend were the long talks they shared. She was, in short, "great at listening." And she was a trusted confidant you could take your problems to and get sound advice on how to proceed.
Sandra was a single mother of three when she met Jim Link on what turned out to be a very interesting blind date as the couple attended a dance in Manly only to be stranded with several of their friends in a blizzard. The rest is history. The couple married in 1994, and their families blended together perfectly.
She had a potpourri of interests. Sandra enjoyed gardening, cooking, sewing and, of course, her two soap operas - "As the World Turns" and "Guiding Light." She was a member of a card club and loved to entertain and dance as well.
For a dozen years, Jim and Sandra owned and operated The Oak Wood Inn, a beautiful bed-and-breakfast on the south shore of Clear Lake. They then built a house on an acreage near Ionia, and throughout their 28 years of marriage, she was a devoted wife and best friend to Jim.
Sandra was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Charles City.
This remarkable woman who never said a bad word about anyone will be missed, but the memories she helped create and the advice she dispensed will last a lifetime for Jim, her children, her grandchildren, and all those who knew her will be a part of their lives forever.
Sandra is survived by her husband, Jim of Ionia, IA; two sons, Curt (Jennifer) Schneider of Clayton, WI, Steven (Amy) Schneider of Waterloo, IA; three daughters, Jackie (Randy) Lenz of Prescott, WI, Christine Schneider of Michigan City, IN, Lynette Laures of Kasson, MN; six grandchildren, Cassy Lenz of St. Paul, MN, Cora (Bryan) Grieme of Princeton, MN, Leandra Laures of Kasson MN, Logan Laures of Kasson MN, Faith Schneider of Waterloo, IA and Foster Schneider of Waterloo, IA; two great-grandchildren, Ruby and Luella Grieme of Princeton, MN; sister, Gloria Ballou of Mesa, AZ; mother-in-law, Mary Link of Elma, IA; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Kenneth Ballou; and in-laws, Louis Sr and Betty Lou Schneider, Louis Link.
