I was talking to Bev one day on the phone and she said something that she heard from someone that I didn't believe. She said Bob was bowling one night with the guys when one of them shared that Sandi Sprouffske had passed away. That couldn't be! It would be all over Facebook at that point. She is a real huge icon in Rainier. Everyone would know. I told Bev that she must have heard them wrong, and she said she might have. That same day, I called Mom after she was done with the gym and asked her if she had heard anything about Sandi. She said she did, one of her family members called into the dentist office to cancel her upcoming appointment because she did pass away. They didn't say from what though. I was surprised because I didn't know she was suffering from anything. It's been hard to stay connected to people because of the pandemic. The pandemic has taken a lot of time away from us that we will never get back.
I waited to hear if they were going to have a community celebration either at the school or at the Sportsman's Club. I knew Shelley would post something about it on Facebook soon. A couple of weeks went by and the noticed was posted both on Facebook and in the post office, where most people in Rainier get their information for just about anything. I asked Mom if this was something she wanted to go to even though she was going to be at her quilting retreat. She said yes, and that she would have to leave the retreat early.
I first met Sandi when I was in elementary school. We would have to walk to the red building to the gym that functioned as a cafeteria more than it did a gym, at the time. I can still remember the smell of that cafeteria. Sandi, along with a few other ladies, Gail, Shirley and Judi, were known as the Rainier lunch ladies. They were always friendly to us and talked to us while we were waiting in line. I found out that Sandi used to donate her own money to the delinquent breakfast and lunch accounts, so those kids didn't go hungry. That was very generous of her.
Over the years, I got to know here more since she was a huge part of the community and immersed herself in Rainier sports. I would see her at just about every football and basketball game even when she didn't have kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews playing. Mom and I would see her at the store and would run into her at the post office. Mom had several conversations with her at the dentist office when she was in her chair.
I wore a Rainier High School sweatshirt and I arrived at the school somewhat early (about a half hour before) because I didn't know how the gym was going to be set up. I imagined it being set up like a graduation but when I arrived, I was wrong. I signed in, grabbed a program, pinned an orange and black ribbon to my vest and found a spot to sit in the bleachers. I figured most of the relatives would sit at the tables and sitting in the bleachers left room for them. Mom misunderstood meeting me at the gym and though I was supposed to get her at her house. That is not what we agreed upon and she drove to the school. More people started to arrive. I expected there to be a lot of people that would show up and many people I haven't seen in a long time.
I sat there and read my program. Inside it said,
"Sandra Helen (Aschenbrenner) Sprouffske was born September 1, 1948, to Albert and Rosetta (Haskins) Aschenbrenner, the youngest of eight children. She took her last breaths on January 17, 2022, fighting respiratory complications from pneumonia, stemming from radiation treatments in late 2021.
She graduated from Rainier High School in 1966 and enrolled in beauty school and then became a beautician in Yelm. She married the love of her life, Jerry Sprouffske, in 1968 at St. Columbian's Parish Hall in Yelm. Jerry adored her vibrant spirit and joy. The newlyweds loved the monthly dances in town and were known to dazzle on the dance floor. They lived in downtown Rainier for nearly a decade before moving to the farm in 1976 with sons Darren and Kevin.
Sandi was the heart of the Sprouffske family. She made their farmhouse a home, filled with laughter and stories and love. She crocheted, played the piano, kept up with all the latest stories in town, and helped her sister-in-lawn Karen with decorating cakes for special occasions. Walking in the door, you'd often find homemade treats on the counter. If you were lucky around the holidays...her frosted cookies, popcorn balls, or coveted homemade caramels might await you.
She was there to listen and wipe away the tears. She was a natural caregiver who loved and cared for those who needed it the most.
Raising Darren and Kevin as a homemaker, Sandi found herself volunteering at the school and for the boys' sports teams. She had a soft spot for kids and anyone that needed a little more attention or love. Starting in 1979, she began volunteering in the Rainier lunchroom and over time, she volunteered as a substitute in the kitchen, ISS, library and the district office. In 1991, she was hired by the Rainier School District as a part-time "lunch lady" and spent twenty years with the district. She greeted every student by name and occasionally found herself quietly covering lunches of those whose balance had run low.
You could consider her a "Rainier Super Fan" - at every game and cheering loudly from the stands, fiercely loyal to her team. She and Jerry traveled the northwest with the boy's AAU team in the Ford Econoline purchased just for that purpose. She coached middle school girls' volleyball and even girls' basketball with her son Darren. She kept the stats for her sons' teams and often did the books at the scorer's table. She appreciated good officiating and often loudly shared her critique of the calls when she disagreed. In fact, not only did she find herself kicked off two different soccer fields in one day by the same official but learned that sharing her "feedback" at the state basketball tournament from the scorer's table was a great way to be show the exit as well. Her heart bled orange and black.
In the fall, she made endless batches of Russian tea in preparation for Christmas tree season on the farm at Sprouffske's trees. She treasured catching up with customers who became friends over many years of visiting the farm and loved sending them home with a tree and a handcrafted wreath. During the off-season, she loved walking the fields with her faithful four-legged companions, Lady and Kirby.
In retirement, she loved her Tuesday mornings with her siblings at the casino, sharing breakfast and swapping stories. When her grandsons were born, she treasured every moment of being "Grandma Sandi" and never missed a Grandparents' Day or a game for her grandkids. She loved it when their home was filled with family, toys, noise, dice games and laughter.
In her final days, Sandi was surrounded by the lights of her life: husband Jerry and sons Darren and Kevin. She loved her family. She loved her Rainier community. She will be remembered in our hearts, our memories, when we challenge bad calls (in games or in life) and when we care for others as she did.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Rainier High School ASB."
I wore my mask and so did Mom. We talked to Lynn and Greg, Paulette Johnson and her husband talked to us, and I waved to a couple of people before the ceremony started. When it did begin, we had a welcome, an opening prayer by Mr. Mounts and then we had three people from the family give reflections or eulogies to the audience. Danny Aschenbrenner started it off, then Janet Aschenbrenner went next, and the Jonathan Sprouffske finished it off. Every single word was heart-felt sprinkled in with some humor because Sandi was a tiny lady with a huge personality. We watched a slide show of her life with her family and friends and with the look of them, she lived a very full life with many things that kept her busy.
Darren Sprouffske was supposed to do the acknowledgments, but he was not able to gather himself to speak in front of everyone without breaking down. I don't blame him. Mr. Mounts read his portion and then gave a closing prayer. There were a few more things said to the crowd before everyone was able to get up, visit and get some lunch. Mom and I decided not to do lunch but instead we visited with people. I spoke to Pete and Bonney, saw some people I haven't seen in years suck as PK Deusen and Mrs. Lueck, we walked over to some people Mom went to high school including the Robert's family and some other people here and there. We talked to Janet, I spoke with Tara Aschenbrenner for a little while and met her husband and daughter, we spoke to Jonathan and even had a chance to talk to Rita for a little bit. It was nice to see people and chat with them.
We decided it was probably time to go since we've almost been there for two hours. I had some stuff I had to take care of before the weekend was over.
RIP Sandi Sprouffske. You will be missed by many.
Next Adventure: An Adventure Lab Saturday
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