Sandra Rasner, of Prior Lake (formerly of Rochester), passed away January 27, 2021 at the age of 83. Services are pending and will be announced at a later date.
On August 18, 1937 Sandra Joyce Rasner was born to parents, Earl & Blanche Gates. Sandra was the second of 3 children and grew up in Wakefield, MI, a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
During her school years, she had friends in Wakefield and also the nearby town of Ironwood, where her family attended the Baptist church. Sandra took piano lessons as a child, and then played saxophone in the concert and marching band. She also sang in the choir, liked to roller skate at a nearby roller rink. Sandra and her sisters attended Girl Scout and bible camps in the summer. Sandra graduated from high school in Wakefield, MI and then attended Wheaton College in Illinois, until she married Reggie (R.A.) Rasner, Jr. in Wakefield, MI, in September 1958. They moved to Omaha, NE and started a family. Their marriage was blessed with one wonderful son, Reggie Amos Rasner III.
Before long, R.A.’s work had their family on the move again. This time they settled in Rochester, MN. They spent over five decades in Rochester. Sandra worked 34 years in the Rochester Public Schools as a Librarian/Media Specialist. Sandy and R.A. also owned the local roller-skating center in Rochester, Skate Country . They both taught skating lessons to students that competed.
As a family, the Rasners spent a lot of time on the water. They had a boat called Nite Owl that they kept in Lake City. They made many wonderful memories on their boat. Sandy loved being on the water spending time in the sun reading. She was an avid reader and rarely left the house without a book or multiple books. Sandy also loved to travel. They were big cruisers. One of their favorite trips was a month-long cruise around Cape Horn in South America. They took countless cruises over the years and loved every one of them. In her spare time, she read, often reading more than one book in a day.
The most important things in her life were her family and her faith. Sandy and R.A. were active members of Oasis Baptist Church in Rochester for many years. They volunteered any time the church needed help with Sandy devoting time to managing the church library. Sandy loved spending time with her family especially during the Christmas season, where many family traditions were made.
Sandy will be remembered for her quiet, gentle spirit and love of reading. She is survived by her son, Reggie (Sandy) Rasner III; grandson, Aaron (Jane) Rasner; siblings, Pat (Wayne) Munson, Jean (Don) Schaffer; other loving relatives and friends. Sandy was greeted in Heaven by her husband, Reggie and her parents, Earl & Blanche Gates.
