Petticoat Junction's Lori Saunders Left Acting & Made an 'Art' of Her Married Life — Now Her Son & Grandkid Save Lives

• Lori Saunders disappeared from the public eye in the 80s for the sake of her family.
• These days, the actress is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
• Her son and granddaughter save lives, and she fights for animal rights with her husband and daughter.

Before Lori Saunders made a name for herself starring in the TV show "Petticoat Junction," she was just a regular girl from Kansas City, Missouri. Born Linda Marie Hines on October 4, 1941, she chose to go by her stage name, Linda Saunders.

By the age of 19, Saunders started her acting career. She made her debut in 1960 with the television show "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," appearing in several episodes. She also took well to advertisements, selling more than 100 products to her fans, and she soon started to act in films, including "The Girls on the Beach" and "Blood Bath."

Although Saunders was already a popular figure in television, she solidified her fame in 1965 when she was offered Pat Woodell's role on "Petticoat Junction." To avoid being confused with her co-worker, Linda Henning, she changed her name one final time, settling on the monicker that everyone knew her as — Lori Saunders.

After ending her career as an actress, Saunders largely spent her days as a mom and a wife, although she took up a range of creative projects.

Saunders also started a career as a singer after finding widespread fame, teaming up with Henning and their co-star Meredith MacRae to form the group, The Girls from Petticoat Junction. The crooning trio released one CD, which contained a number of original songs as well as covers from other artists.

Saunders and her singing co-stars performed at a number of events, including numerous nightclubs, fairs, and even on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." Eventually, though, "Petticoat Junction" was canceled and Saunders turned her attention elsewhere. She briefly starred in "Petticoat Junction's" sister show, "The Beverly Hillbillies."

Although Saunders continued to find roles in other TV shows and even a number of films, her popularity seemed to be decreasing. She appeared in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" and "Dusty's Trail," among other works. and made her final appearance in "Captive," before disappearing from TV screens altogether, choosing family over career, much like Melissa Sue Anderson.

Where and What Is Lori Saunders Doing Now?

In 1961, Saunders found her perfect match — she married Bernard Sandler, the owner of Commercial Talent Agency. A few years later, Sandler retired from working as a talent agent, and he and his wife moved to Southern California, where they spent their days raising their family.

Like their parents, Saunders' children use their social media platforms to make people aware of social issues around the globe.

Saunders and Sandler had two children together, Ronald Sandler and Stacy Sandler. After ending her career as an actress, Saunders largely spent her days as a mom and a wife, although she took up a range of creative projects. She started getting into photography and used her voice to advocate for child and animal rights.

Saunders also spent much time honing her painting and sculpting skills and enjoyed the outdoors tremendously. She became vegan, started meditating, and got involved with numerous charity projects. She began to sell much of her artworks, photographs, and sculptures as part of the Lori Saunders Art Gallery.

To this day, Saunders continues to paint, and the actress shared one of her artworks with her Instagram followers. The painting showed three characters from "Petticoat Junction," and she captioned the post, "'Try to make at least three people smile each day. An original painting of our favorite sisters from Petticoat Junction."

With her husband's help, Saunders is still actively advocating for animal rights and protecting the environment. Sandler's Facebook profile is filled with posts encouraging action against injustice and asking his followers to contribute to charitable causes. In 2020, he spoke out against Exxon and the Iditarod dog race.

Sandler also asked his followers to donate to the World Wildlife Fund in honor of his birthday in 2020 instead of gifting him other things. In 2017, the retired talent agent also encouraged his followers to speak out against what he deemed to be the mistreatment of bulls during the annual Candelaria festival in the city of Tlacotalpan.

Who Are Lori Saunders' Children and Grandchildren?

Like their parents, Saunders' children use their social media platforms to make people aware of social issues around the globe. For her birthday in 2022, Stacy asked her followers to donate to Joshua's House for Golden Retriever Rescue. Like her mom, Stacy is an avid animal rights activist.

The boys' mother, Jaclyn Sandler, is unbelievably proud of her children, whom she raises in their home in Harper, Texas.

Saunders and Sandler's son, Ron, grew up to be the owner of the Del Norte Ambulance company, which he bought in 1985 when he was only 25 years old. He has been working hard since to provide assistance to anyone who needs it. Besides being president of the company, Ron also works as a paramedic and trains new teams.

Ron has also served on numerous boards and is highly active in his community. The Del Norte president has lent a hand to associations such as the Del Norte Senior Center, Sutter Coast Hospital, Rural Human Services, the Crescent City Rotary Club, the California Ambulance Association, and the American Ambulance Association.

Ron is also a loving family man. He is a supportive husband, a father, and even has two grandkids. Ron has also been working at the Six Rivers National Forest's U.S. Forest Service since 2012, where he serves as a responder during fire seasons.

Ron is the grandfather of two little boys. The boys' mother, Jaclyn Sandler, is unbelievably proud of her children, whom she raises at their home in Harper, Texas. She also helps to save lives like her father, by working at Peterson Health. Ron's sister, Stacy, also uses her social media profile to raise awareness surrounding critical social issues, much like her parents.

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