Sandra Ann Case

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother (Omi), and great-grandmother (Oma) passed away peacefully at home from natural causes. She was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, on November 20, 1937 to Willhelm (Bill) Schultz and Amanda Bornemann. She was cherished by her parents and older brother Ronald from the day she entered this world.  

Mom grew up in Buffalo, where she was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attended a small branch with her family. The branch was like a second family to them, and she kept in contact with many friends from that branch for the rest of her life. Mom excelled in school and developed a life-long love of learning. She learned to play the piano, becoming an accomplished pianist in her youth, and she was asked to accompany the high school orchestra as a freshman, and played throughout high school.  She absolutely loved spending countless hours playing for her own pleasure, for her family, for Family Home Evening, for musical numbers in church, etc. She also learned to play the organ, and she accompanied ward congregations, ward choirs, school programs and several musical/choral groups. Mom especially loved accompanying a group of her closest friends in the Big Cottonwood 10^th Ward known as the “Silhouettes.” These friends became very dear and precious to her. Most of all, ‘Omi’ loved playing for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as they sat at the piano with her and sang songs for hours.

After graduating from High School, mom attended BYU where she majored in German. During her last summer at BYU, she met her eternal companion, Stephen Case, in a German class she was teaching. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in 1960 and returned to Buffalo to begin teaching High School. Her courtship with Steve continued and they were sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple on August 25, 1961. They lived in Buffalo while he attended Graduate School, and their twins, Ron, and Rebecca, were born there in July of 1962. They were blessed to adopt a little boy, Robbie, in Buffalo in 1968, and shortly after relocated to Salt Lake, where Robbie was sealed to them in the Salt Lake Temple. Three years later they completed their family, adding a daughter, Rachel. Sandra was an amazing mother and a perfect homemaker. She served her husband and children tirelessly.

When her children grew older and were all in school full-time, mom started working at Woodstock Elementary in Holladay. She loved the children and faculty she worked with as librarian for 17 years.  Some of her grandchildren got to attend there and it was the highlight of her day to see them walk into the library. After her children married and started their own families, mom’s greatest joy was being ‘Omi’ to her grandchildren and ‘Oma’ to her great-grandchildren. She would do anything for them, and her constant thought was for their happiness. She loved having them over to her house, and especially cooking delicious meals for them.

Most importantly, mom will be remembered as a devoted, life-long disciple of Jesus Christ.  She had a rock-solid testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which she bore often. Mom spent countless hours in the service of the Lord and of thousands of others through church callings, Temple work, family history work and volunteering wherever she was needed. She was happiest when she was serving others. She served in all the church’s organizations, and especially enjoyed teaching Relief Society and Gospel Doctrine.  Mom loved the scriptures, the temple, and her ancestors.  She devoted countless hours to find and provide saving ordinances for her German family members who she knew were waiting for their ordinances and temple blessings. Mom was called and set-apart as a missionary with her eternal companion to Durbin, South Africa, where she grew to love so many others through her service to them. After their mission, she wanted to serve with Dad in the SL County literacy program for jail inmates.  Her teaching experience, patience and pure love for others enabled some men who desperately needed help learning, to read and write for the first time in their lives.  Then, for many years she served in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple playing the organ in the chapel, and as an ordinance worker.

One of mom’s favorite hymns expressed the feelings of her heart: “Savior may I learn to love thee, walk the path that thou hast shown. Pause to help and lift another, finding strength beyond my own. I would be my brother’s keeper, I would learn the healers art. To the wounded and the weary, I would show a gentle heart. Lord, I would follow thee.” Mom set a life-long example for her family of Christ-like love and service, and we will miss her deeply, but we rejoice in the knowledge that she has been reunited with so many friends and loved ones in a glorious reunion on the other side of the veil. 

Sandra is survived by her husband of 59 years; 3 of her children and their spouses, Ron (Sharise) Case, Rebecca (Kay) Howland, Rob (Cori) Case; 16 grandchildren and their spouses; and 10 great-grandchildren.  She has been reunited with her parents, her brother Ron, her daughter Rachel, her grandson Caleb, her great-granddaughter Presley, her life-long friend Doris, and countless other family members and friends, all of whom have greeted her joyfully.

We give all thanks, praise and glory to our Heavenly Father for the gift of His Divine Son, the Light, the Life, and the Hope of all mankind. We know that His Way leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come, and we are tremendously grateful that Sandra found that path and taught it to her family. We know that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we will see her again, that one day we will all be resurrected and live together forever.

A viewing will be held at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road, from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM on Sunday, December 20th, and from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM on Monday, December 21st prior to the funeral which will start at 11:00 AM. Due to social distancing, attendance at the service is limited to about 50 people.  Please come if you can or join remotely via the link provided at McDougalFuneralHomes.com website.    

The family wishes to express our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to her loving caregivers from Valeo Hospice, our beloved Amanda who cared for her constantly for 3 years, and especially to Michelle Day, her precious caregiver who loved her like her own grandmother and made every day more special for our mom.

Please join remotely via this link.  https://vimeo.com/491832204

To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Sandra Ann Case, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.