Sandra Hall

“Short life.” That’s one of the phrases our mom would often say. In our heads, we knew it to be true but now our hearts hurt with the reality.

Our beautiful mother, Sandra Kay Hall passed away on June 30, 2025. Born on September 23, 1948, to Carl and Dorothy (Westlund) Merillat, she was a lifelong resident of Elk Rapids and 1966 graduate of Elk Rapids High School.

Sandra worked as a waitress at the Cherry Bucket during her twenties and at John and Sandy’s restaurant in downtown Elk Rapids with her second husband and then owner, John Hall.

Soon after she turned thirty, tragedy struck that would change the course of her life. A tumor on her heart caused several mini strokes. Doctors didn’t uncover the underlying cause until she suffered a severe, debilitating stroke. After surgery at the University of Michigan, the tumor was successfully removed leaving a scar down her chest and lifelong paralysis of her right arm, left leg, and aphasia.

Despite being disabled, Sandra is well known throughout the town of Elk Rapids as always being cheerful and having a smile on her face. If you had the chance to ask her how she was doing, the answer was always a resounding and optimistic, “Great!” If you knew her, I bet you can still see her pointing at something you were wearing and hear her say, “I like that.” Despite aphasia limiting her vocabulary, she became a master at engaging others by asking questions, reminding us that genuine curiosity is one of the most beautiful forms of connection. She was able to live independently for most of her life and loved finding antiques and eccentric items at garage sales and thrift stores.

She was fun loving, had an eye for the unusual, and dreamed of having her own antique store. She was a loving person who loved nature and all living things, including her dachshund, Jonny Cash.

Sandra was preceded in death by her only son, Michael Gmoser, only thirteen days prior to her own passing. Also preceding her in death were her parents, Carl and Dorothy Merillat.

She is survived by her two daughters, Michelle Gmoser and Kimberly (Michael) Lloyd, two sisters Carla Pickard and Diane (Joseph) Smith, as well as seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

A graveside memorial service will take place at Maple Grove Cemetery, ElK Rapids at 2:00 pm on September 23rd, which would have been her 77th birthday. This special gathering will offer a chance to say your final goodbye to a one-of-a-kind woman who will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

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