Sandra L. McGrath

Amana – Sandra (Sandy) McGrath was born a beautiful, eastern Iowan hard worker as Sandra Lee Etten on July 28, 1949, at John McDonald Hospital in Monticello, Iowa, the daughter of Marvin and Betty (Brignac) Etten. Soon after Sandy's arrival Marv and Betty began building a new house in Fairfax, Iowa. As a new family, they lived in the basement of that house as it was built above and around them. Soon, sisters and brothers began arriving. Sandy spent an unforgettable childhood in Fairfax with her siblings electrocuting themselves by sneaking through an electric fence in their backyard that was guarding Prairie Creek, all in an effort to splash about and swim.. They soon learned swimming in the nearby quarry that is now known as Twin Oaks Lake was a less painful endeavor. Although the children would come home covered in tar and paint because the quarry was a well known dumping site at the time. The Etten family soon grew too big for the Fairfax home as Sandy turned roughly 10 years old. The Etten family then purchased a farm and built a home outside Shellsburg, Iowa. Little Sandra Lee lived the rest of her adolescent life helping to raise and care for her seven younger siblings: Gardening and canning with her mother as well. She graduated from Shellsburg High School in 1967 then promptly hit the road with her pregnant best friend Pam and other bestie LuAnne for Phoenix, Arizona in her late 60’s Corvair to work for Motorola, Inc. Sandy lived at 4607 N 11th St Phoenix, AZ long enough to see Pam and her new child settled then headed back to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in that same corvair, just to see about a man she had met cruising 1st Avenue before she had left who worked at Al’s Full Service on Johnson Ave. Sandi found employment at the Turner Microphone Company at 909 Seventeenth Street NE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa assembling Iowa’s historic microphones right away. Sandy was united in marriage to Bob Caffrey and they were blessed with two boys. Tyson, then Andy. Sandy devoted her life to her children’s upbringing ensuring nothing less than pure happiness and an understanding of unconditional love. Early in her adult life Sandy was a successful young entrepreneur who in 1984 started, owned, and operated Video Biz! in Northeast Cedar Rapids for many years. It was the first movie rental/video store in N.E. CR. Bob and Sandy separated in 1992. Sandy then found the love of her life, Mitch. Beginning a true romance in 1994 they spent their courtship together traveling to epic car shows across the U.S.A. with her new love’s fully restored 1969 427 SOHC Candy Brandy Wine Ford Pro Stock Pickup. They knew they were destined to be together and they immediately started looking for 10 acres of Amana woodland on which to build their dream house. They were united in marriage on September 16, 2000, at their new home in rural Amana. Determined to live off the land they succeeded where so many fail. With love. This love was rivaled by none sharing a worship for the outdoors and animals, at one time gathering this rare purity for a new edition, Cammer. A magnificent Belgian draft horse who they trained to pull trees out of the forest, across their land, and up to their beautiful new house to be split as firewood to heat that home. Sandy and Mitch met at their workplace Cryovac Sealed Air Corp. on Wilson Ave CR where they drove to work together everyday for 23 years until Cryovac closed the doors in 2009. She was one of the most respected employees and loved her career. Later in life, Sandy earned a degree in Medical Coding from Kirkwood Community College. During her life she worked at Frontier Herbs, Williamsburg Manufacturing, Cryovac Sealed Air, and Mercy Hospital in the Coding Department. She adored dancing and savored music and instilled that sense of passion with her children. Sandy enjoyed the hardworking art of tapping maple trees and making homemade maple syrup on and from their land. Sandy absolutely cherished ginseng hunting, fossil hunting, looking for arrowheads, excavating native American artifacts, or anything that involved being outside with her soulmate, Mitch. Sandy’s true pride and joy was spending time with, and immensely showering her grandson Luca with love. Teaching him how to hunt for wild ginseng, arrowheads, native american fossils, and preparing family homestyle meals. Together Sandy and Mitch instilled a sense of self respect and confidence within their grandson, Luca Caffrey, that only can be described as a rare and unique gift in this day and age. Sandy passed away at home Friday, May 16, 2025, inside her home in rural Amana at the age of 75 years old. She knew in her heart there was peace to come in the afterlife. Sandy McGrath believed that love was undeniable proof of one’s soul and she had more love to give than can possibly be imagined. Unless, one was fortunate enough to receive hers.

Sandy is survived by her husband Mitch; two sons; Tyson (Bria Postley) Caffrey of Fairfax and Andy Caffrey of Fairfax; grandson, Luca Caffrey.; five siblings, Steve (Jean) Etten of Covington, Scott (Ginger) Etten of Luzerne, Shirley (Randy) Peacock of Peachtree, GA, Henry Etten of Peachtree, GA, Shari Etten of Shellsburg; sister-in-law Lisa Etten of Shellsburg and brother-in-law Roger Goehring of Urbana. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Spencer Etten and sister Susie Geohring.

Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Powell Funeral Home in Marengo. There will be a private family burial in the Koszta Cemetery. A general memorial fund has been established. Powell Funeral Home in Marengo is caring for Sandy and her family. Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com