Sandra "Sandy" Lee Olien

SANDRA LEE OLIEN, age 82 of Waseca, died at her home on the afternoon of Saturday, June 13, 2026.

Sandy was born in Lemmon, South Dakota on March 6, 1944 to parents Logan and Margaret Qualley. She attended a rural country school as a child and graduated in 1962 before continuing her education in Dickenson, North Dakota to become a nurse. Although Sandy was a self-professed “tomboy” as a child, she also competed and won her local beauty pageant. The resulting young woman was a tough, stubborn, independent beauty. She was married to Howard Olien in the early 1960s and together they had two sons who continue to live the way she did. Sandy was a talented artist who worked in oils and other media while caring for her home, her family, and the community at large. She was known to purchase items with the sole intention of donating them to those in need, and could sew, patch, and breathe life into items that others had discarded. Sandy loved working with horses, caring for her cats, and providing love through her gifts and care for those around her. She was a long-time member of Grace Lutheran Church and could always be counted on to have Big Red chewing gum, black licorice, and sunflower seeds close at hand.

Sandy is survived by two sons, Troy (Julee) Olien of Waseca and Darin Olien of Malibu, CA; two grandchildren, Hanna (Garrett) Antila of Waseca and Logan Olien of Waseca; two great-grandchildren, Grayson and Eleanor; and two sisters, Cheryl (Rod) Seim and Pam (Scott) Seim of Lemmon, SD. She was preceded in death by both of her parents; and her former husband, Howard.