SANDRA KAY (SWINDLER) REDDING
September 8, 1941 – November 4, 2024
Sandra Kay (Swindler) Redding passed away peacefully Monday, November 4, 2024 in Baring, Missouri, surrounded by members of her loving family.
Sandra was born on September 8, 1941 to Clyde Junior (Jim) Swindler and Helen Ivalee (Kratzer) at her grandparents’ home north of Downing, Missouri. When she was just a little girl, her father was called to service in WWII. Until the end of the war, she and her mother lived with her grandparents, and she was surrounded by family, aunts, and uncles who she has always remembered fondly. Sandra attended school at a young age at Brush Creek and later in Downing, Missouri. In 1956, she married Tom Redding and to this union 4 children were born, Randy, Lynn, Shella, and Cindy. Later in life, she met her longtime companion Jack Goosey of Memphis, Missouri. They had many adventures in Mexico where she fell in love with the beaches, the people and the culture. Sandra was always up for a challenge, ready to move to new places and try new things. Through the course of her life, she lived in Downing, Novelty, Edina, Lancaster, Memphis and a few winters in Bucerias, Mexico.
She would laugh and say she had quite the job resume. She was a bank teller and computer operator, a receptionist in a dentist’s office, the manager at Casey’s, manager of Motel 63, at the grocery store in Downing, as a salesperson in a furniture store and even sold baseball cards in a mall. She always said that last one would surprise people. In 2002, she decided to “retire”, but if you asked her, she would say she stayed busier in retirement than she ever did while she was working. If someone said they were bored when they were retired, she would say, “Well, you’re not doing it right.” She also volunteered throughout her life for many activities for her children, like taking on the job of softball coach when Shella was young. She said she knew nothing about the game, but she loved batting, so those girls got really good at hitting the ball that year!
Sandra loved to be creative. She cooked, sewed, refinished furniture, decorated and redecorated every home she ever lived in. She could make something out of nothing, and it would look amazing. She also stayed active and would try just about anything that looked like fun. She even got pretty good at knife throwing. At age 61, she picked up a paintbrush and never turned back. She enjoyed painting and learning about art and then sharing her creations with many people. One of the great joys of her life in the past 20 years, has been the Schuyler County Historical Society, to which she devoted countless happy hours.
She attended different churches throughout her life including Christian, Methodist and Pentecostal.
She absolutely loved spending time with her friends, family, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and recently got to meet her twin great great grandsons. If it was a big gathering or spending time with one person at a time, it was meaningful to her and it made her very happy. Every kid who had the chance to have breakfast in her home had the joy of her famous cinnamon toast that they will always remember.
Sandra is survived by her companion, Jack Goosey of Memphis, Missouri; brother, Steve (Penny) Swindler of Downing, Missouri; sister, Pam (Selby) Lusher of Shibley’s Point, Missouri; children, Randy (Pam) Redding of Baring, Missouri, Lynn Redding of Jefferson City, Missouri, Shella McFarland of Boonville, Missouri, and Cindy (Paul) Hayes of Jefferson City, Missouri; grandson, Joshua (April) White of Lancaster, Missouri; granddaughters, Ashley Boettcher (Eric Shipley) of Kansas City, Missouri and Chelsea Redding (Michael Guittar) of Columbia, Missouri; grandson, Austin Redding of St. Louis, Missouri; great grandsons, Chance White, Taren (Ashleigh) White, Landen White and Aidan Sellers; Great Granddaughters, Starr Bass, Bella Sellers; great great grandsons, Noah, River, Riggs and Ryett; great great granddaughters, September, Serenity and Autumn and many dear nieces, nephews, cousins and cherished friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Jim Swindler and Helen (Kratzer) Swindler and grandson, Joseph Dillon Redding.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at the Norman Funeral Home in Lancaster, Missouri with pastor, Leon Buford of Pentecostal Church of Memphis, Missouri officiating. Special music selections will be “Amazing Grace,” “Circle of Life” and “I Hope You Dance”. A visitation will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2024 at the Norman Funeral Home in Lancaster, Missouri from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Memorials have been established for the Schuyler County Historical Society or Hospice Campassus- North Central Missouri. The burial will be at the Downing Cemetery in Downing, Missouri at a later date. Online condolences may be expressed to the family by logging on to normanfh.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Norman Funeral Home in Lancaster, Missouri.
