Sandra Holder Sturch

On Friday, November 14, 2025, Sandra Holder Sturch left this life and entered eternal joy and peace in the presence of Jesus, her Beloved Savior. We mourn the loss of a loving mother and grandmother, devoted friend, and faithful servant of Christ; we celebrate with her the joyous reunion she is now having in Paradise.

Sandy was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 3, 1940, to parents Franklin Herman and Grace Chelstrom Olsen. She was raised in nearby Wheaton and attended Wheaton College, class of 1962. She married Adm. Billy D. Holder in 1973, was widowed, and married Chaplain Lt. Col. George T. Sturch (Retired, USAF) in 1996. George became her partner in ministry for all of the 23 years they had together until his death in 2019. Sandy cherished her relationships with her two daughters, Kristen Morales and Karen Williamson. Kristen was her devoted caregiver in later years, and both girls accompanied her through the last days and hours of her life. And known to them as “Grandma Tex” and “Grandma George”, Sandy was a continual source of affection, encouragement, and wisdom to her eight grandchildren, always present with devotion, humor, and a generous spirit which radiated through every part of her life.

Sandy lived a life of purpose and accomplishment; she worked passionately in the callings of each and every season. When her brother, Lt. Col. Floyd Olsen, was shot down in Vietnam, 1968, she worked tirelessly as a national spokesperson and advocate for the families of all POW-MIAs, and she was present when in 1998 a medical clinic was built and dedicated to her brother’s memory in the remote Central Highland jungles of Vietnam. Sandy’s refined taste and love for beauty inspired her professional career of interior design, which included decorating community group homes over eleven years for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sandy was a vocalist; an artist; a Norwegian; a leader, organizer, administrator, advocate, and laborer. She was not a cook.

Of all the callings in her life, Sandy’s first and greatest passion in life was serving her Savior, Jesus Christ. Alongside her brother and with her mom playing the church piano, she was baptized at age 6. From that moment forward, she determined she would follow Christ with all of her heart, whatever the cost. She joined First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio, Texas, in 1975. The list is very long of all the ways she served over the next 45 years, in her church, the Presbyterian denomination, and her community, including leading small groups, teaching adult Bible classes, writing Bible studies and leadership materials, singing in the choir, mentoring younger women, serving on dozens of committees, serving as deacon and elder, exercising extensively her gift of hospitality, accompanying mission trips, ministering to the underserved, and befriending the unfriended. Especially near and dear to her heart, over the span of 15 years, Sandy devoted herself wholeheartedly to Bexar County Detention Ministries, volunteering as chaplain, a member, and then president of the Board of Directors, discipling and encouraging incarcerated women throughout south Texas. In all these ways and all these places, she was as generous and loving to the people she served as she was to her own grandchildren.

Sandy will be remembered for her elegance, grace, beauty, and her impeccable grammar and manners; for her humor, laughter, and lovely singing voice; her courage, self-assuredness, and eloquent speech; her astounding grace though many seasons of suffering; and in these last years, her peace and contentment amidst great loss, and her hope in the best life to come. She will be remembered in all these ways—and most of all for her life of commitment, service, and confidence in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saint.” Psalm 116:15

Sandy is survived by her daughter, Kristen Morales and husband Benjamin; her daughter, Karen Williamson; her grandchildren, Zachary and Olivia Muehlfelt; and Savannah (Eckstein), Chase, Sophia, Katryn, Addy, and Zoe Williamson.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Grace Olsen; her brother, Floyd Olsen; her beloved husband, Billy D. Holder; her beloved husband, George Sturch; and her precious son-in-law, Kent C. Williamson.

A graveside service will be held this Saturday at 3:30pm, November 22, 2025, at Mount Paran UMC Cemetery, Welsh Run Road, Ruckersville, Virginia. This is open to all who would like to join the family in celebrating Sandy’s life. A meal will follow at the home of Karen Williamson, 1941 Dunnes Shop Road, Ruckersville, Virginia.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00pm on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at First Presbyterian Church, 404 North Alamo Street, San Antonio, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Chrysalis Ministries (formerly Bexar County Detention Ministries), 509 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212.