Saundra Sue Francis

Saundra Francis passed away peacefully on Friday, May 8th with her husband, Jim, her daughter Nicole, and Cammie, her Airedale Terrier at her side. She dealt with dementia with the same quiet determination and poise that guided her through other challenges in her life. Saundra was born on October 31st, 1941, in Jefferson, Iowa. Her parents, Ida and Woland Bauer, were both first generation American Germans from Russia who instilled within her a strong work ethic that lasted throughout her life. She grew up on a farm in rural Yale, Iowa where her farm chores and 4H projects helped her learn the values of family, community, and hard work. She attended Jamaica public schools from grade school through high school. Her well-rounded high school experience included being chosen Homecoming Queen and Prom Queen, participating in glee club, mixed chorus, and playing clarinet in the band. But her high school accomplishments of which she was most proud were on the basketball court where she was a standout forward on the team and in the classroom. She graduated as the Valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Saundra turned down an opportunity to play college basketball to begin what became an extensive business career. Her part time job in High School became a full-time job at the Farmer’s State Bank in Yale, Iowa. She moved to Des Moines where she worked for three years in an advertising agency before marrying Jim Francis and moving to their first home in Pella, Iowa. Over the next several years she served as secretary and executive assistant to the President of Vermeer Manufacturing, worked in financial management and as a data analyst for Gallup. While living in Tennessee and taking classes at East Tennessee State University, the birth of their first child, Troy James. inspired her first entrepreneurial venture; a mail order business for baby clothes and related products. In 1970 the family moved to Fort Collins where Saundra thrived with her entrepreneurship, her involvement with tennis, and motherhood, giving birth to their second child, Nicole Sue. While taking classes at the University of Northern Colorado she saw the need for stenographic and word processing services. She subsequently started her business, Accu-typing, to provide word processing and secretarial services to graduate students, professionals, and small businesses. Besides successfully operating Accu-typing for over 40 years she partnered with Jim as an owner and operator of two businesses in Loveland: a sporting goods retail store, Northern Alpine Sports and the Plaza Health Club. While she enjoyed her business ventures her real passion was for her avocation of tracking the stock market and buying and selling stocks. Saundra loved accompanying her children to their swim meets throughout their respective swim careers and enjoyed activities with the family including hiking, skiing, traveling, and playing tennis. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and engaging them in learning activities and sports. She found great joy in playing tennis, especially women’s doubles, and loved her tennis community. Saundra was a fan of CSU sports and was most fond of attending the CSU conference basketball tournaments in Las Vegas. Saundra is survived by her husband, Jim, her daughter Nicole and son-in-law Tim Vowles; six grandchildren: Saundra Francis Locke, Parker Francis, Will Vowles, Owen Vowles, Molly Vowles and Abby Vowles; her brother, Larry Bauer, five nieces and nephews, and 13 grand and great grand nieces and nephews and hundreds of friends and former clients, all of whom will miss her greatly. She was preceded in death by her parents, her son, Troy James, and her brother, Wallace Gene Bauer. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Saundra Francis Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of Nicole Vowles, 712 Dartmouth Trail, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

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Saundra Sue Francis

October 31, 1941 - May 8, 2026