Sandra Lee Kinne

Sandra Lee Kinne was born November 3, 1948, to Lucion Lee and Helen Marguerite (Pope) Davis. Although the couple lived in Washington, she was born in Los Angeles, California, while her parents were on vacation. Sandra was raised an only child in Ellensburg, Washington, where she graduated from high school.  As soon as she graduated she went to work for White Front Department Store, where her hard work was quickly rewarded with a promotion to management. Even after her only child Michael was born, she continued working and went on to have great success in each job she held. While working as a buyer for Fred Meyer, she became the first female sporting goods manager in the history of the company. Sandra also worked for Fuller O’Brian Paint for a time. It seemed there was nothing she couldn’t do and she excelled at everything.  Although her career was important, her son was always her top priority and she was able to successfully tackle the challenge of being a career woman and a mother. She always made sure Michael had everything he needed and birthdays and Christmases were especially celebrated. Sandra took her son on outings and they went camping together in the summers, and what looks they got when they pulled up to a campsite in Sandra’s Corvette!! She loved her cars and owned mostly Chevys – Cadillac, Corvette, and her beloved 1975 S-10 Silverado with the step-sides. Michael always made sure her truck was up and running for her.  Sandra moved around a bit, but she spent the majority of her life in the Pacific Northwest with the exception of 20 years spent in California where she owned a bar. She married Steven Kinne and he became a wonderful father figure to her son Michael until he passed away in 1995. In 1998, on the way back to California from Washington, she was passing through Stayton, stopped for a bit, and decided it was a great place to be and never left.  The year 2007 was not a great one for Sandra’s family – her mother was diagnosed with cancer, her son Michael had a brain aneurism, and Sandra herself was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic.  Due to her mom’s health, Sandra moved back to Washington to be with her for a time.  Sandra was a free-sprit and no one could slow her down. There was nothing she could not accomplish if she set her mind to it. Crafting of any kind came easily to her, including painting. She was involved with Kiwanis - even awarded Kiwanian of the year -  and helped in the onion ring booth at Octoberfest in Mt. Angel. She designed floats for the Kiwanis for the July 4 parade in Stayton and won first place both years she was involved. She was straight laced but had the heart of a hippie – she loved life and the earth and all animals. Sandra thought the animals had more right to be here than humans did. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, and friend and she will be deeply missed by those that love her.  Sandra was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her son Michael, granddaughters Melinda Rudd and Sarah Kinne, five great-grandchildren, and her best friend Kim Palmer. A family celebration of life will be held at a later date.