Rev. Sanford Sage Sill

Sanford Sage Sill was born on June 29, 1939, at Independence, Iowa, the only child of Sage and Alma (Barske) Sill. He grew up on the family farm near Lamont, Iowa, and graduated from Lamont Consolidated School in 1957. In 1961, Sanford received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Upper Iowa University, in Fayette, Iowa. He then taught a year of high school vocal music in Elkader, Iowa.

Sanford married Gloria Olson of Sioux City, Iowa, on July 24, 1962. To that union were born two daughters, Irene and Janell Sill. Sanford attended three years of studies at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. After a year’s internship in Seattle, Washington, he graduated with a Master of Divinity Degree in 1966. He was ordained as a minister of the American Lutheran Church on September 18, 1966. That Synod later became the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Sanford spent the next 38 years serving congregations in Hutchinson, Minnesota; Ceylon, Minnesota; Dolliver, Iowa; Chokio, Minnesota; and Brownton, Minnesota. On September 8, 1990, he married Carol Prindle of Ames, Iowa, and served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church of Linn Grove, Iowa, until he retired in the fall of 2004. Following eight years of retirement in Decorah, with winters in Texas, Sanford married Marilyn Jorgensen of Eagle Grove, Iowa, on June 8, 2013. Together they enjoyed spending time with relatives and friends, gardening, singing in choir, fishing, reading, preaching on Sundays when pastors were on vacation, and serving in various ways in churches in Iowa and Texas.

Sanford passed away on Monday, July 25, 2022, at the age of 83. He was preceded in death by his parents Sage and Alma Sill.

He is survived by his wife Marilyn of Eagle Grove, Iowa; two daughters, Irene Sill of Moorhead, Minnesota, and Janell Sill of Richmond, Minnesota; three grandchildren, Abygail Switters of Little Falls, Minnesota, Alexandria Patterson of Fargo, North Dakota, and Joshua Williams, of Minnesota; five great grandchildren, Trey, Camren, and Brielle Switters and Desaraye and Aria Patterson, and many other relatives and friends.

Sanford loved serving the Lutheran congregations to which he was called.  He also loved his his wonderful family, relatives and Christian friends.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 29, 2022, at 11:00 am at Foust Funeral Home in Eagle Grove, Iowa with visitation from 9:30 until service time.  Burial in Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.  Foust Funeral Home, Eagle Grove in charge of arrangements.     

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