Menominee County Resident Sandra "Sandy" Powers Dies at 88

Sandra "Sandy" Keshena Powers, who grew up in a log home without running water near Rainbow Falls and went on to spend decades as a nurse and community anchor in Shawano and Keshena, died March 16, 2026, in Shawano. She was 88.

Sandy was born December 27, 1937, in Shawano, the daughter of Lucille (Otto) and George Pecore. Her early years followed a seasonal rhythm: springs through falls at Pecore's Trading Post by Rainbow Falls, winters in Neopit on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The family's log home ran on a water pump, wood stove, outhouse, and kerosene lamps. The Trading Post itself was a crossroads of sorts, buying and selling goods from other tribal nations, renting cabins, and offering walks to Rainbow Falls. Visitors from around the world signed its guestbook.

After high school Sandy enrolled at UW-Stevens Point for one year, then transferred to nursing school in Milwaukee to earn her LPN. Her career began at St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee before she returned to work at the Menominee Indian Hospital in Keshena. That hospital closed in 1961, a closure the obituary attributes to the Menominee Termination Act of 1954. She spent the remainder of her nursing years at Shawano Hospital, working across various departments before retiring from discharge planning, where she helped hundreds of families navigate next steps of care for loved ones. The friendships she built at Shawano Medical Center, the obituary notes, lasted her lifetime.

Sandy was married to the late Wayne (Butch) Keshena. Together they had a daughter, Wendy, and a son, Todd.

Her community presence extended well beyond the hospital. She was a founding member of the Friends of Shawano Hospice, a trustee at St. Michael's Parish, and a loyal volunteer at food pantry and church events. She planned weeks in advance to fill bake sale tables, and her family described her "love language" as cooking, baking, and cleaning for extended family. She kept a spotless home and was meticulous in how she cared for herself and others. Until her recent health decline, she walked two miles every day.

Visitation will be held Saturday, March 28, from 9 to 11 a.m. at St. Michael's Catholic Church, 816 WI-47, Keshena. The funeral service follows immediately at 11 a.m. at the same location. Services are handled by Swedberg Funeral Home, where condolences, flower orders, and memorial options are available.