Sandra Kathleen Ensminger

Sandra Kathleen (Heaster) Ensminger, 78, of Corriganville, died Saturday, June 22, 2024 at UPMC Western Maryland.

She was born at home in Kistler, PA on September 24, 1945 to the late William Crofford Heaster and Ruth Leona (Park) Heaster Garlock.

She was also preceded in death by her husband, John Albert Ensminger, Jr.; brother, Paul Eugene Heaster; sister, Phyllis Jean Heaster; and longtime best friend, Mom (Betty) Wolford.

She attended Allenport Elementary School grades 1-6 and Captain Jack Middle School grades 7-8. In 1960, Sandra and her mother moved to Mount Savage, Maryland where she attended Mount Savage School. During her high school years, she was a member of the National Honor Society, and the Yearbook Staff, and was a member of the Methodist Church Choir. It was also in high school that she met the love of her life, John (Buck) Ensminger, Jr. The pair graduated in June 1964 and later wed on July 11th of the same year.

Sandra and Buck moved from Mount Savage and lived in Martinsburg, WV, Mount Storm, WV, and Melvindale, MI, and later settled and bought their first home in Taylor, MI. While residing in Michigan, she worked for Hudson’s Dept Store as a sales clerk and later in the collections department at Montgomery Wards Department Store. In 1978, the couple moved back to Maryland and lived in Mount Savage from 1978-1981 and then finally in Corriganville, Maryland. During this time Sandra drove a school bus from 1980-2004 and worked at Restlawn Memorial Gardens from 1982-2004. Most recently, Sandra was convalescing with her daughter in LaVale, MD.

Throughout the years, Sandra enjoyed numerous hobbies and pastimes including flea marketing, collecting Fenton and Hummel pieces, reading her Bible, working on word search puzzles, catching up with her games on her Kindle, following along with Online Sunday Worship, watching her favorite TV shows (Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Matlock, Walker Texas Ranger, NCIS, When Calls the Heart, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, Chicago Series, Blue Bloods, the Price is Right, Let's Make a Deal, Naked and Afraid, Swamp People, Swamp People Serpent Invasion and Pittsburgh Penguins and Pirates games as well as the Olympics), sitting on the deck in the evenings to feed and watch our deer, squirrels, birds, raccoons, groundhogs, chipmunks, turkey, and an occasional fox and coyote. She used to be an avid camper and enjoyed attending NASCAR and dirt track races and served as the President of the Corriganville Volunteer Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary, a lifetime member of the Kennell’s Mills Outdoor Club, and did whatever she could to help out in her community.

Sandra was a humble, Christian woman and a great home cook. Through the years, she did have a few favorite foods including turkey with all the fixings, homemade meatloaf, sausage sandwiches, DQ Ice Cream Cake, Mocha Frappes, Apple, Pumpkin, Strawberry and Pecan Pie, sand tarts, barbeque ribs, and a good chicken wing! She also loved supporting local charities. Above all else, her ultimate pastime and pleasure was spending time with her family whom she loved more than anything.

Sandra is survived by her daughter Karen Ensminger, LaVale, sons John “Slick” A. Ensminger, III and wife Sandy, Ellerslie, and Jason M. Garlock and wife Holly, Corriganville; six grandchildren, Stacey Cook (Steve) of LaVale, Amber Taylor (Jimmy) of Frostburg, Jason Jr., Jacob, Olivia and Isabella Garlock; and one great-grandchild, Fenway Taylor.

Sandra is also survived by her sister, Rachel (Heaster) Edgin, McVeytown, PA; brother, William D. Heaster and wife Adrianna, Laramie, WY; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Friends will be received at the Upchurch Funeral Home, P.A., Cumberland, on Thursday, June 27, 2024 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM.

The funeral service will follow in the funeral home at 1:00 PM.

Interment will be in Restlawn Memorial Gardens.