Sandra Kay Cole

Sandra Kay Cole, age 82, passed from this world into Heaven on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.

She was born in LeMars, Iowa, May 7, 1943, to Huel and Bonita (Muller) Paulin.

Sandra was educated at Union Consolidated and LeMars Community Schools, Westmar and Buena Vista colleges. She earned a BA in elementary education in 1965, and later earned a special ed endorsement from Winona State.

She was married to David Hebrink from 1965-1992. Three children came from this union: Philip, Timothy and Alison. Sandy’s greatest joy was being a mom, and she considered that to be the purpose of her life.

Sandy married Gary Cole in 1992 and acquired three wonderful stepdaughters: Barbara, Janet and Sharon. These were Sandy’s happiest years, then Gary died suddenly in 2001.

Sandy was a teacher in Alta, Iowa, and Harmony, Minn. She was a special ed teacher in Wykoff, Spring Valley, Stewartville, and Clear Lake, Iowa.

Over the years her interests included reading, needlework, the food shelf, and she was very active in the Cherry Grove UMC. As a lay leader, she introduced Rev. Mark and Susan Rader to the congregation, enjoyed being a church basement lady, and singing in local musical theater productions. She was part of the Friends of Ostrander Care Center, and the Fillmore County History Center. She traveled to all 50 states and 11 countries. The trip of a lifetime was the Hawaiian cruise in 2019 with her children and grandchildren.

She did not like politics, but she collected elephants (they’re good moms). She was the “American Grandma” to many exchange students from around the world. She was fiercely proud of her stepdaughters and their families, and of her children and grandchildren who surrounded her bed near the end and read to her from the books she once read to them during their childhood.

The steady loss of vision was very hard on her. We are very grateful to her cousin Mark Sander for making it possible for her to live at home for so long. She so enjoyed hearing Mark play Ellie the Cello in her living room, in area churches, and care centers and the veterans home. We are especially grateful for the care and love shown by the staff at Ostrander Care and Rehab, where she once volunteered, along with St. Croix Hospice. They walked down a difficult road with us.

She was proceeded in death by her parents and Gary Cole.

She is survived by Philip (Jane) Hebrink of Preston, Minn., Timothy (Deanne) Hebrink of Chaska, Minn., and Alison (Chris) Charboneau of Wichita, Kans.; grandsons Timothy, Ethan, Joshua and Peter; stepdaughters Barbara (Mike) Sollars of Davenport, Iowa, Janet (Mike) Procter of Swaledale, Iowa, Sharon (Andy) Wentzy of Sioux Falls, S. Dak., Hayden, Erin, Jordan, Spencer, Katie and Mia; one brother, David (Donna) Paulin of Cincinnatti, Ohio and their children, Jennifer, Joe and Kate.

Sandy has continued her legacy of teaching, by donating her body to the Mayo Clinic teaching department.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, November 22, at the Cherry Grove UMC at 11 a.m., with a little lunch to follow, in the church basement.