Sandra Kukla

Sandra "Sandy" Marie Kukla, 73 of Lewistown, Montana passed away on November 9, 2023 at her home of natural causes. Sandy was born to Oliver and Leanor (Weekes) Wright on December 19, 1949 in Bismarck, North Dakota, and was raised on the family farm. She attended school in Flasher and graduated from Flasher High School in 1967. Sandy attended Dickinson State College and studied nursing.

Sandy married Nick Kukla in June of 1969 in Dickinson, North Dakota. Together they raised two children, Carmen and Brent, in Dickinson and later Scranton, North Dakota. Sandy worked for Farm Credit Services for many years in Bowman, North Dakota. She later moved to Lewistown, Montana, and then to Fort Bragg, California, and Seattle and Olympia, Washington, working as a consultant in the health care field, before retiring to Lewistown in 2019.

Sandy was a frequent participant at health care industry conferences and was passionate about the benefits of tele-health for rural communities. She made many great friends across the country during her travels.

In addition to her passion for reading, Sandy took great pride in her grandchildren and cooking for and sharing a bottle of wine with family, her significant other, Kemp Ellingson, and friends. Her grandsons called her Nana Apples because she always made apple pie during her visits, and they were happily involved in helping Nana in the kitchen. Her sense of adventure and culinary skills even led her to spend several weeks as the cook on a salmon fishing boat in Alaska in 2013. She loved following all of the activities of her and Kemp's grandchildren both in person and by livestream. She was known to check the livestream links on Wednesdays, just to make sure she was ready for Friday night football games. Sandy loved living close to her granddaughter, Bergin, and her grand dogs, and always looked forward to Bergin stopping by to fix her hair and nails and then enjoying granny's cooking. She also loved her traveling adventures with Bergin. Sandy made every holiday a special event with her meals, including orange rolls for breakfast for her girls. She was an incredibly generous person, with time, with love, or anything that was needed.

Sandy's legacy and memory are carried on by her family: her daughter and her family: Carmen and Bergin Larson, and Mark Larson of Lewistown, Montana; her son and his family: Brent, Heather, Max, Will, and Jack Kukla of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; her significant other and his family: Kemp Ellingson of Rapid City, South Dakota, Tasha, Joe, Cayden, Cole, and Kenlee Wilkinson of Abilene, Texas, and Amanda, Jordan, Landon, Brennan, and Kemra Bauer of Rapid City, South Dakota; her sister and her family: Connie and Clifford Rossow of Flasher, North Dakota; her brother: Everett Wright of Wheelersburg, Ohio; and cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents Oliver and Leanor Wright and granddaughter Sanna Kukla.

A Celebration of Sandy's Life will be scheduled at a later date. At her request cremation has taken place with the Cloyd Funeral Home assisting the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Lewistown Firefighters Association. Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.cloydfuneralhome.com.