Corrinne “Cory” Holzapfel, age 74, of rural Sherman, passed away on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at her home. Services were held on Sunday, December 12, 2021, with a short service and time of sharing beginning at 7:00 PM at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson.
Corrinne (Cory) Sanders was born March 31, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Helen Allaire and Gerald Sanders. She spent her early years in Massachusetts before moving to Sioux Falls when she was a teenager. Cory graduated from Washington High School in 1964.
After graduation she worked at McKennan Hospital as a ward clerk. It was there she met Richard Holzapfel, her future husband, while his Grandpa Charlie Vandersnick was in the hospital. He worked up the courage to ask her out and after three dates he proposed marriage in “Matt Dillon Country” as Cory called it (Palisades outside of Garretson), which included leaving everything in South Dakota and moving to Alaska…..only 3,050 miles away! She accepted! Rich went back to work in Alaska for 6 months and did not return to Sioux Falls until their wedding on October 29, 1976. Cory then went on the biggest adventure of her life for the next 45 years.
In their early years of marriage the two enjoyed league bowling, hiking, biking and 3-wheeling in Alaska. Cory was the official score keeper for Rich’s softball team for 12 years and always made sure the umpires agreed with her score.
March 10, 1979, the couple welcomed their only child Heather Marie. Cory was a leader for Girl Scouts and volunteered at North Pole Elementary where she helped with PTA and would monitor recess. She then volunteered at North Pole Middle School in the office until 1993 when she went to work for Guided Independent Study in Fairbanks. She made many great friends and enjoyed her 15 years there. Cory was always at all of Heather’s performances or concerts, no matter what. Once Heather graduated from High School, Cory travelled around Alaska with Rich on the Alaska Railroad work train and saw much of Alaska many people never get to see. Both Rich & Cory retired on April 1, 2008, and moved to Shady Acres outside of Garretson in July of that year where she enjoyed 13 years of retirement.
Cory’s only grandson, Finnlay Richard, was born June 23, 2012. She enjoyed spending time with him and going to all his school concerts and soccer games. She was always “all in” on everything. She never missed a thing.
Cory loved to read anything and everything, gardening (especially her hostas), crafting when she could, and loving her grandson Finnlay as much as possible.
Cory is preceded in death by her parents Helen & Gerald. Grateful to have shared her life are, her loving husband Richard of 45 years, daughter Heather (Jason DelGuidice) Holzapfel, and her favorite grandson Finnlay Richard Seeloff. Her step-mother Alice Tuttle and siblings Gerald Sanders of Missouri, Wayne Sanders of Sioux Falls, Kevin (Vicki) Sanders of Sioux Falls, Vicki (Randy) Jacobsma of Sioux Falls, Michelle (Troy) Renken of Sioux Falls.
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