Sandra L. Douglas, 83 of New Boston, passed away Monday, August 10, 2026, at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, Iowa, surrounded by her family. A celebration of life will be held from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, August 22, at the Mercer County VFW. Private family burial will be in Aledo Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Mercer County VFW, Mercer County VFW Auxiliary, or the New Boston Fire & Ambulance. Speer Funeral Home, Aledo, is assisting the family.
Sandra Lee was born on February 4, 1943, in Rock Island, Illinois, to Louis M. and Fern Elizabeth (Riddell) Balmer. She married Guy C. “Buzz” Douglas on December 23, 1961, in Aledo, Illinois.
Sandy retired from the Westmer School district as a custodian after many years of service. She also carried mail for the Rock Island Post office from 1968 to 1973. After retiring from school, she cleaned houses for many people, where it was more of a friendship to all of them than a job. Even in retirement Sandy stayed busy, she was never one to sit still. In her spare time, she was always working on a jigsaw puzzle, embroidery, sewing, or feeding the birds and trying to outwit the squirrels from getting to the feeders. In a spare moment when she was relaxing there would either be a book in her hand or a western on TV, and it had to have John Wayne in it!
Sandy and Buzz enjoyed living on the Bay in New Boston, where they raised their family. Sandy cherished her time with her children and grandchildren and was extremely proud of her grandchildren and would tell everyone all about them. She loved Fridays when she and her sister-in-law, Marilyn, would get coffee and get their hair done. She was a talented seamstress and tailored many dresses and mended many, many pairs of jeans over the years. Sandy and Buzz enjoyed traveling, and she especially loved seeing different light houses.
Those left to cherish Sandy’s memory include her husband of 64 years, Buzz; children and spouses, Jason and Amanda Douglas, Beth and Luke Salmon, and Greg Douglas and Nicole Bristol; grandchildren, Faith and Dereck Plowman, Sienna Douglas and fiancé, Joe Reusch, Bodie Salmon and Koleigh Dixon, Aubrey Salmon, Grayson Douglas, and Kahne Douglas; a sister and brother-in-law, Patty and Bob Gordon; honorary grandchildren, Josie and Aleigha; and many nieces and nephews. Sandy was preceded in death by her parents; brother and sister-in-law, Talbert “Tab” & Bev Balmer; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Marilyn and Don Hollembaek and Edwina and William Wright.