Sandra 'Sandi' Nelson

On Oct. 19, 2020, Sandra “Sandi” Nelson, the most amazing wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away in her sleep, surrounded by her family’s love.

Sandi was born in 1944 in Post Falls, Idaho, to George and Martha (Pat) Snyder (owners of “The Spot” Café) and lived an idyllic childhood with her three sisters: Sharon, Susan, and Sheryl. She was a free spirited and independent young woman and after two years of college at University of Idaho, took off for San Francisco, where she met and fell in love with Jack Nelson. Before agreeing to marry Jack, she continued her adventurous life by hitchhiking through Europe while he waited for his independent lady.

Jack and Sandi spent their early life in Walnut Creek, Calif., where she worked as a legal secretary and had two children: Brenda and Ryan. In 1976 they purchased their first Coast to Coast store in Soda Springs, Idaho, and became hard-working business owners. In 1983 they moved to Great Falls, Mont., where they purchased a second store and continued to raise their family.

She was an incredibly loving person, and her favorite days were those spent surrounded by her family, playing board games, working in the yard or enjoying nature. She was never one to sit down and relax, and she was constantly on the go, lending a helping hand to anyone who needed it, enjoying golfing and skiing with Jack and kids, loving her weekly hikes with her hiking group, and in her free time, creating an amazing yard and garden.

Sandi was blessed to retire early, but that didn’t slow her down (nothing did!). Sandi and Jack became snowbirds, oscillating between their beautiful cabin in the woods of Crouch, Idaho, and their home in Green Valley, Ariz., where she loved hiking in the Madera Canyon and pursuing her artistic passion by becoming a skilled potter.

Sandi and her quick wit, zest for life and fun-loving personality will be deeply missed by her husband of 51 years, Jack Nelson; daughter, Brenda, and husband, Jim Swanson; son, Ryan, and wife, Anne Nelson; and grandchildren, Caden and Logan Swanson and Eleanor Nelson. Additionally, she is survived by her sisters, Susan Lee and Sheryl Brandon, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Martha Snyder and sister, Sharon Harding.

A celebration of life will be arranged at a later date. In lieu of flowers, she would love a Random Act of Kindness to be done with her in mind, or memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer's Cure Foundation (alzcure.org).