Sandra Lee Prechel

SANDRA LEE PRECHEL, age 79 of Waseca, passed away at her home on Sunday, October 3, 2021 following a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Born in Ghent, Minnesota on November 1, 1941, Sandy was the daughter of Lawrence V. and Marion E. (Clark) Maertens. When she was young she attended Good Counsel High School before continuing her education at Mankato State University, where she studied social work. She began her social work career in Waseca before she was married to Vernon Prechel on November 3, 1965 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Waseca. In 1967 she and Vern built their home in Waseca, and began their family there, at which point she left her career to stay home with her children. Sandra was a very strong and devoted Christian, and she and her husband have attended St. Paul Lutheran and Vista Covenant in Waseca, the Mankato Evangelical Free Church, and for the last 20 years have been active in the Waseca Wesleyan Church. She worked for a short time with the E.F. Johnson Company and Itron after her husband retired in 1995. She volunteered her time with the ladies aid and vacation bible school, enjoyed birdwatching, flower gardening (with the exception of pulling quack grass), fishing at the family cabin on Lake Bowstring, was a shrewd collector of depression-era glassware, and will be long remembered for her incredible generosity to those in need.

Sandra is survived by her husband, Vern of Waseca; four children, Edward Prechel of Waseca, Neal Prechel and his wife Tonia of Rogers, Virginia Prechel of Tulsa, OK, and Laura Prechel and her husband Brent of Columbia, TN; four grandchildren, Mikenze, Owen, Ella, and Raven; and three siblings, Thomas Maertens and his wife Sylvia of Mankato, Mary Maertens and her husband Sean Holland of Seattle, WA, and Timothy Maertens and his wife Peggy of Mankato. She was preceded in death by her parents; and two sisters, Patty Maertens and Jean Rogers.

Visitation will be held from 4-6 PM on Friday, October 15, 2021 at the Third Street Chapel of Dennis Funeral & Cremation Services in Waseca, and will continue for one hour before the service at the church on Saturday. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to The Gideons International.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at the Waseca Wesleyan Church, with Pastor Andrew Isker officiating.