Sandi Dee Dunham Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Sandra “Sandi” Dee Dunham, age 57, of Ottumwa, completed her long journey with multiple myeloma on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, at her home in Ottumwa, under the care of Good Samaritan Society Hospice, and surrounded by her loving family. Sandi was born on July 19, 1960, to Ron and Jane (Fleener) Dunham, in Albia. She graduated from the Albia High School with the Class of 1978. She worked in manufacturing until settling at AYM in Albia where she worked for 21 years, 10 of which she was a CNC operator and 11 years as a quality control assistant. All of us have a family that we were born into. At AYM her family grew. AYM’s motto is “More than a brand, we are family.” This was especially true for Sandi, which is almost unheard of these days. She believed that no other company compared to the compassion shown to her by AYM. Sandi was an avid collector of Coca-Cola memorabilia. She enjoyed a “winning” scratch off lottery ticket and was a number one fan of Buffy, the Walking Dead and Dr. Who. Above all, Sandi loved spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren. Sandi is survived by her son, Ryan (Amelia Hughes) Dunham; Mike Jespersen, Ryan’s father; her father, Ron (Diane) Dunham; 2 grandsons, Jaxsen and Axl Dunham; a sister, Debra (Jim) Ballalatak; a brother, Ray Jr. (Lori) Vitko; a stepbrother, Mark Dunham; an aunt, Lea Weldon; her nieces and nephews, Kristin (Ryan) Kirk, Sammy Jo (Dustin) Albert, Andrea Ballalatak, Kaitlyn (TeJay Meredith) Vitko, Tyler (Kimber Frierichs) Vitko, Tanner (Bethany) Vitko, Britney Yockum and Zachary Dunham; 2 special cousins, Gabrielle Weldon and Cody Kaplan; 4 great nieces, Brinley Kirk, Rylee Albert, Jenna Vitko, and Aubree Meredith and 3 great nephews, Caden, Kyler and Maverick. Sandi is also survived by several cousins and good friends. She is preceded in death by her mother, Jane; her grandparents, Sam and Wilma Fleener and Robert and Josephine Dunham; a stepsister, Shelly Dunham; and 2 special cousins, David Fleener and Nick Weldon. Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at Tharp Funeral Home in Albia with Sandi’s family present from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. to greet family and friends. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Sunday, May 13, 2018, at the Tharp Funeral Home in Albia. A private family burial will be held at a later date at Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa. A memorial has been established to the Lymphoma and Melanoma Foundation in Sandi’s name.

Sandi Dee Dunham

July 19, 1960 - May 9, 2018