Raymond “Ray” Howard Sands, 95, of Kenyon, died on Monday, September 14, 2026, at his home with his daughters by his side.
Ray Sands, a lifelong musician, farmer, was born January 9, 1931, on his family’s 200-acre dairy farm near Kenyon, Minnesota. He was a third-generation farmer and was one of four children born to Charles “Charley” and Florence Sands.
Ray learned to milk cows by hand at the age of five and began playing the accordion at age nine. By the time he was 11, he was performing alongside his siblings in the family band. Ray attended country school and farmed alongside his father on the family farm, milking cows, raising turkeys and planting and harvesting crops in the field. He took over the farming operation after his father’s passing, continuing the dairy herd until he retired from milking in 2009.
After graduating from Wanamingo High School in 1949, Ray was invited to play accordion with a municipal band in Zumbrota to help raise money for a new hospital. That experience helped lead to the formation of the Polka Dots, who went on to become a successful old-time polka band that toured throughout Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. In 1963, Ray was asked to lead the band and continued doing so until their final performance in August 2022.
On December 12, 1970, Ray was united in marriage to Susan (Fossum) Sands at Holden Lutheran Church. Together, they shared a life centered around family, music, farming, and their community. They had two daughters, Kristy and Heidi, who performed with them at numerous venues.
Ray performed with the band for more than seven decades, bringing the happiness of polka music to festivals, fairs, nursing homes, conventions, dance halls, and community celebrations. He recorded several albums and CDs with the Polka Dots and the Ray Sands Combo, including milestone recordings commemorating the band’s 40th, 50th, 60th, and 70th anniversaries. He also helped make musical history when the Polka Dots became the first old-time band to record an LP with their signature song, “The Ping Pong Polka.” Throughout his remarkable career, Ray performed internationally at polka festivals in Austria, Norway, Denmark and Sweden, appeared on nationally syndicated polka shows and was featured on Prairie Home Companion and a movie called “His Neighbor Phil.” The band also played at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Southwest Polka Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ray received numerous honors for his contributions to polka music and his community. In 2000, he was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. He was named Kenyon’s Rose Fest Parade Grand Marshal and Kenyon’s Citizen of the Year in 2009, and in 2020, he was selected as Goodhue County Citizen of the Year.
Ray’s greatest legacy was the joy he brought to others through his music. For more than 70 years, he rarely turned down a request to perform, continuing to share his talent with audiences of all ages. Whether playing for a crowded dance hall, a community celebration, or a nursing home gathering, Ray understood the simple power of music to bring people together and create lasting memories.
His dedication to music, family, farming, and his community made him a beloved figure whose influence will continue for generations. Ray will be remembered for a life filled with music, hard work, generosity, and a genuine love for the people around him.
He is survived by his daughters, Kristyn (and Matt) Jacobson of Kenyon, Heidi (and Mikkel) Gusenius of Minnetrista; grandchildren, Bryan and Colin Jacobson, Rylan and Marika Gusenius; brother-in-law, Robert Fossum and his nieces.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Susan Sands; parents, Charley and Florence Sands; brothers, Wilbur and Duane Sands, and his sister, Doris Nodland.
Visitation will be at Michaelson Funeral Home, Kenyon on Friday, September 18, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Aspelund with a visitation starting at 10:00 AM. Interment will be in the Emmanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Aspelund.
