Sandra J. Nielsen-Hoaglund

With her family by her side, Sandra J. “Sandy” Nielsen-Hoaglund, age 73, passed away peacefully on Thursday morning, February 20, 2025, at her residence after a courageous battle with cancer. Sandra was born in Racine on September 12, 1951, daughter of the late John and Theadora (nee: Kroes) Madala.

Sandy graduated from Wm. Horlick High School “Class of 1970”. On June 19, 1976, she was united in marriage to LeRoy “Lee’ Nielsen. They raised two children, Kristine and Cory, and shared twenty wonderful years together before Lee passed away unexpectedly in 1996. Sandy was lucky enough to find love again and married Daniel Hoaglund on March 7, 2003. She was a dedicated employee with In-Sink-Erator for forty-three years where in Sandy’s words, “strangers became friends and friends became family. Who could ask for anything more?”. She and her husband Lee also owned and operated Lee’s One Way Tavern. For the past couple of years, Sandy enjoyed working with the Meredith family at the funeral home, always serving others with compassion and a smile. Sandy was a member of St. Rita Catholic Church, the In-Sink-Erator Ten Year Club, the Racine Women’s Club, Racine Junior League and the Moose Lodge. Always giving of herself, she also volunteered with Ascension Medical Center fund raisers and at the St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry. A very social person, Sandy enjoyed her time in her golf league, entertaining her guests in her backyard, and traveling with family and friends to Alaska, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Las Vegas. More than anything, Sandy will be remembered for her kindness and concern for others, her sense of humor, and her deep love and devotion to her family.

Sandy will be missed greatly by her husband, Dan Hoaglund; daughter, Kristine (Ernest) Harmsen; her son, Cory (Jennifer) Nielsen; grandchildren, Ethan Harmsen (Tess Johnson) and Gavin Harmsen (Eliana Inthalaphet), and Jayden Nielsen; step-children, Rick (Peggy) Nielsen, Kathleen (Ronald) Thomas, Katherine (Chad) Vukobrat, Jacob (Dana Christensen) Hoaglund, Bridgette (Kelly) Hoaglund-Zumstein, Audrey (Michael) Schwandt; 16 step-grandchildren; her siblings, Bill (Julie Palm) Madala, Tom (Val) Madala , Greg (Dee) Madala and Tom Hernke (Amy Kohler); 6 step great grandchildren; in-laws, Gary Hoaglund, Richard (Eva) Hoaglund, Scott Hoaglund, Karen (Bill) Knauer, Janis Hoaglund, Renee Jaber, Diane (Todd) Phelps, Thomas (Robin) Hoaglund, Michelle (Steven) Sylvester, Mary (John) Anderson, and Vicki Heckel; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Wednesday March 5, 2025 from 10:00 a.m., until 12:00 p.m. with a Celebration of Sandy’s Life Service to start at 12:00 p.m. noon. Private interment will be held at West Lawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to the National Kidney Foundation or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have been suggested.

The service will be live streamed and may be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/meredithfuneralhome/