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Sandra Kay Franke, 75, of Cloquet passed away on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. She was born on Oct. 9, 1947, in St. James, Minnesota to Jacob and Mabel Geiger. She grew up on a farm outside of St. James and graduated from St. James High School in 1965. On April 8, 1967, Sandra married Charles August Franke in St. James.

Sandra worked at the Fingerhut Co. in Gaylord, Cat N' Fiddle Supper Club and the 3M Co. in New Ulm, and the Kids Corner latchkey program in Cloquet. She was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in New Ulm and later Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Cloquet. She was also a member of the Cloquet VFW Auxiliary Post 3979.

Sandra liked sewing, knitting, crocheting and quilting. She led the sewing group at the VFW Auxiliary and DAV.

She was preceded in death by her parents and younger brother, Michael.

Sandra will be greatly missed by her husband, Charles, of Cloquet; daughter, Stacy (Steven) Ziells of Esko; son, Curtis Franke of White Bear Lake; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; brothers Ken (Sandra) Geiger of St. Cloud and Len (Barb) Geiger of Ormsby; sister, Monica (Jeffrey) Russell of Snohomish, Washington; sister-in-law, Lois Quast of Gaylord; and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation: Noon until the 1 p.m. memorial service on Monday, Dec. 19 at Atkins Northland Funeral Home in Cloquet. A luncheon will follow the service at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls. To sign the guestbook and leave an online tribute, visit http://www.atkinsnorthlandfuneralhome.com.

Pine Knot News, Dec. 16, 2022