Sandra L. Swartzmiller

Sandra Lee Larson Swartzmiller, beloved mother, Nana, sister and friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on August 19, 2026. She was 84 years old.

Sandra was born April 26, 1942, to Marvin and Helen Larson and grew up in Glenwood, Minnesota. She graduated from Glenwood High School in 1960 and then attended Gustavus Adolphus College and then St. Olaf College before making her home in Chesaning, Michigan, where she and Karl Swartzmiller raised their three children, Christopher, Stefan and Nicole.

Sandra loved gardening, flowers and decorating. She especially enjoyed growing and drying flowers and herbs and creating wreaths and arrangements with a friend that at one point, were sold at the Farmer’s Market in Lansing as well as Jacobson’s in Saginaw. She also shared her creativity as a longtime member of the Chesaning Showboat Festival decorating committee. Later in life, Sandra returned to school to study interior design and worked for more than a decade at Robbins Furniture in Owosso—a fitting full-circle chapter for someone who had grown up in her parents’ furniture store in Glenwood.

Faith and service were important throughout Sandra’s life. She was an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Chesaning and later First United Methodist Church of Northville, where she served as a Stephen Minister.

Above all, Sandra’s greatest joy was her family. She was her children’s and grandchildren’s biggest cheerleader and constant source of strength, encouragement, and support throughout their lives. She made every effort to be there for their games, activities and important moments no matter the distance. Being “Nana” to her eight granddaughters brought her tremendous happiness and was the greatest joy of her life.

Sandra will be remembered for her elegance, creativity, love of gardening, faith, wonderfully understated sense of humor and, most of all, her devotion to her family.

She is survived by her children, Christopher (Laura) Swartzmiller, Stefan (Julie) Swartzmiller and Nicole (Mark) Tithof; her granddaughters, Isabel, Elise, Maddy, Hannah, Sophie, Alli, Lexi and Ava; her brother, Paul (Annie) Larson of Chicago, Illinois; sister-in-law, Jani Larson of Wayzata, Minnesota and many extended family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Helen Larson, and her brother, David Larson.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 777 West Eight Mile Road, Northville, followed by a luncheon at 1:00 p.m. at St. John’s Resort.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or The First United Methodist Church of Northville in Sandra’s memory.

To so many who knew and loved her, Sandra was simply “Nana”, a name she treasured most.