SHARON ANDERSON
May 18, 1933 - October 24, 2022
Obituary
Surrounded at her home by members of her family, Sharon Gail Anderson became one of God's saints who from their labor rests on Sunday, October 23. She suffered a debilitating stroke in April of 2020, and several smaller ones since that time.
She was born on May 18, 1933, at Mohall, N.D. to Charles and Irene (Lindland) Sleeper. The family including an older sister, LaVaughn and younger brother, Don, continued to live on their farm near Mohall until Sharon finished 2nd grade. Then they moved to Seattle where her father worked at Boeing during The War. Later they moved to the Portland, OR area.
Sharon graduated as the valedictorian of her high school class at Sandy, OR in 1951. She attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland for 2 years, went back into the work force for a year and then entered St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN. She met her future husband, Jerry (Gerald) in Norwegian class (For him it was love at first sight). She did office work in Minneapolis for one year after college, and married Jerry on June 8, 1957 at Grace Lutheran in Winchester. She worked at Honeywell in the Twin Cities for another year while her husband was in his 2nd year at Luther Seminary.
They lived in the little village of Dunbar, Iowa, near Marshalltown when Deborah, their first child, was born in October of ‘58. Ruth and Mark were born in Alpena, MI in '61 and '63. Michael was born in ‘66 while the family lived near Mukwonago, WI. Sharon dedicated her life to homemaking and excelled at it. It was because of her willingness to camp that the family could afford, over the years, to take long vacations over much of the United States.
Through the years she also served her community as a volunteer. She helped make thousands of quilts for Lutheran World Relief in the churches that had quilting groups. At various times she worked with developmentally challenged adults, led Cub Scout troops, helped Hmong refugees resettle in Wisconsin, helped with several church office jobs every month, served on the altar guild, made pillow-case dresses for African girls, made soap for LWR, helped prepare and serve meals at the Salvation Army, and gave Deb and Robert many hours of volunteer help at their bed and breakfast inn for about 10 years.
Sharon was preceded in death by her Vietnam vet brother, Don; her stepson, Jeff Benada and her brother-and-sister-in-law, Eugene and Elizabeth Anderson. She is survived by her sister, LaVaughn (Bill); her husband, Jerry; her children: Deb Benada of Neenah (Robert and stepchildren, Rob, Jen and Jade), Ruth (Marshall Thomas) of Akron, OH; Mark (Melanie & step grandchildren, Christa, Alexa & Brittany, and grandchildren, Noelle, Halle and Danielle) of Arlington Heights, IL; and Michael (and grandchildren Joshua & Megan) of Lake Villa, IL plus nieces, nephews and cousins.
A funeral service for Sharon will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at First English Lutheran Church, 326 E. North St., Appleton. Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at Menasha's Westgor Funeral Home, and will continue at church on Thursday from 10:00 A.M. until the hour of the funeral.
In lieu of flowers the family would suggest one of Sharon's two favorite charities, Oaks Indian Mission in Oaks, OK, or The Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, AZ.