Harold Oscar Sand

Madison, SD

1939-41, 2750, Fruitdale (Orman Dam), BR-2,

Harold O. Sand, 94, passed away on Monday, July 4, 2016, at Good Samaritan Center in Sioux Falls.

Funeral service will be 11:00 AM Saturday, July 9, at George Boom Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Sioux Falls. Graveside service will be 2:00 PM Saturday at Memorial Hill Cemetery in Lake Benton, MN. Family present visitation will be 5:00 - 7:00 PM Friday, July 8, at the funeral home.

Harold Oscar Sand was born to Hans and Kjersti (Kantebakken) Sand on February 27, 1922 in Madison, South Dakota. Harold received his education at the Madison public schools.

As a young man living during the depression, Harold was proud to join the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) assisting with conservation of land and with the development of state and national parks in the United States. Harold resided in a CCC camp near Lake Poinsett and worked on connecting the chain of lakes that ends with Lake Poinsett.

After working with the CCC, Harold proudly entered into the United States Army in Madison, South Dakota on February 18, 1943. He was active in WWII for three years. While serving in Central Europe, Northern France and the Rhineland was decorated with the American Theater and EAME Theater Ribbons, three Bronze Service Stars, WWII Victory Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Purple Heart, and Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster. He was honorably discharged in Camp Chaffee, Arkansas on November 11, 1946. After the military he moved from Madison, SD to Watertown, SD and was briefly in Racine, WI before settling in Sioux Falls, SD in 1961.

Harold was married to Virginia Jenkins and had one son, Darrell Sand. Later Harold married Lydia McQueen and after Lydia's passing spent years with his good friend and companion, Hulda Schrader.

Harold was a lifetime over the road truck driver. His CB handle was the "Sandman". He drove for 22 years and totaled over 3,000,000 miles on the road for Midwest Coast and American Freight. He would retire in December 1983. He was awarded several safe driving awards for years of driving accident free.

Harold had a lifetime love of trucks and automobiles and being an exceptional story teller, would entertain his family with stories about his trucking experiences. Although Harold's occupation was trucking, his passion was "tinkering". Family and neighbors received Harold's welcome assistance with numerous broken items or cars needing repairs. As Harold was a saver, he had plenty of parts to fix nearly anything. He "repurposed" things before "repurposing" had a name. It was his love and he missed helping others later in life.

Although Harold was a very solitary person, he enjoyed his daily crossword, reading the paper, watching CNN and spending time with family playing cards for many years. As a member of the VFW, he and Hullie spent many evenings playing bingo at the VFW. He was always a gentleman and assisted any family member, neighbor or tablemate while in assisted living and then as a resident at Good Samaritan Center. He was extremely kind, thoughtful and thankful and loved his food…often saying, "This is the best food I've ever had in my whole life".

He will be dearly missed by loving family and friends.

Harold is survived by his son, Darrell Sand, Sacramento, CA; step daughter, Eunice Haugan, Sioux Falls, SD; grandchildren, Cathy (Dan) Assid, Sioux Falls, SD, Deb (Phil) Martin, Tucson, AZ, Janet Earhart, Sioux Falls, SD, Mike Little, Sioux Falls, SD; six great-grandchildren and six great-great-granchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Hans and Kjersti Sand; wife, Lydia McQueen; grandchild, James Little; and two siblings.

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