Sandy Dykhouse, age 46, of Sapporo, Japan, formerly of Volga, peacefully entered her heavenly home on Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after a brief struggle with cancer. Funeral services will be 10:30 A.M. Saturday, July 26, 2008, at the Volga Christian Reformed Church, with interment in Trinity Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5-8 P.M. Friday at Eidsness Funeral Chapel in Volga. Sandra Jean Dykhouse was born on May 4, 1962, to John and Gert (Van Beek) Dykhouse in Volga, South Dakota. Sandy graduated from Volga Christian School and Sioux Valley High School; in 1984 she graduated from Dordt College, later receiving her masters degree in Education from South Dakota State University. She taught one year at Hills (MN) Christian School, two years at Tiospa Zina Indian School near Sisseton, South Dakota, and three years at Mt. Vernon (WA) Christian School. For the past eighteen years, she taught at Hokkaido International School (H.I.S.) in Sapporo, Japan. When Sandy started teaching at H.I.S., the enrollment was approximately 35 students; as the school grew to its present 200+ students, Sandy was involved in a variety of programs, from setting up the school library to building up an exceptional math program. Sandys passion was always her students. She was instrumental in raising the average math SAT scores for the school, better enabling students to be accepted into top universities. She was loved and respected by her students, which was evidenced by all the cards and emails she received from around the world while she battled cancer. She was devoted to all her students, baking her famous chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for each student, sending each individual student a carefully chosen Christmas card and inspiring them to excel in her math classes. Sandy was raised in the Volga Christian Reformed Church, and was passionate in sharing her faith through her everyday life, being a strong positive influence on all who knew her. She loved to spend time with her family when she was home from Japan. She especially enjoyed her nieces and nephews and was The Favorite Aunt. Sandy had the opportunity to do extensive traveling, and bought gifts from all over the world for her family. Sandy enjoyed singing, cross-stitching, reading, cats, and of course, chocolate. Her immediate family includes her mother, Gert Dykhouse, and siblings, David (Mona) Dykhouse, Ruth (Joel) DeWaard (Allison, Erica, Renae, Anna), Lori (Steve) Sapp (Charles, Andrea, James), Don (Linda) Dykhouse (Anthony and Darcy, Shonda, Emilie, Vanessa), and Mark (Kelly) Dykhouse (Samantha). She also has an extended family in Japan, including Team Sandra, who supported her so fully during her illness. She was preceded in death by her father, John Dykhouse. While her family and friends will deeply miss her, they rejoice in her victory!