Sharon Unruh

Sharon Jane Unruh was born December 11, 1946, to Clifford and Vernetta (Albers) Gilbert. She grew up on a farm in the Lake Benton, Minnesota area and attended Lake Benton Public Schools, graduating in 1963. She was a nurse’s aide in Sioux Falls until she married Lowell Miller on July 10, 1965 and then moved to St. Peter, Minnesota. In 1973 they moved to Lake Benton to run Sharon’s family farm until October 1984 when they moved to Cadott, Wisconsin. Sharon graduated from cosmetology school in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in early 1986. She worked for a couple different salons in the area until they moved back to Lake Benton in the summer of 1989. Sharon bought a small house in Lake Benton that she converted to her hair salon, Shear Pleasure. Slowly it was converted to an antique store as they went to auctions aSharon Jane Unruhnd accumulated too much stuff! Eventually they moved to a larger space called Antiques on Center where they enjoyed meeting customers for many years.

On May 26, 2018, Sharon married Andrew Unruh and the couple moved to Sioux Falls. They spent lots of time traveling, and visiting family and friends, and playing cards.

Sharon knitted many items for her kids when they were little, she also sewed many outfits for them. Later she added card making to her hobbies but she really did enjoy creating with anything. She enjoyed decorating her house for the Holidays and having her friends over for lunches so she could use her pretty dishes. She loved finding unique items at garage sales, thrift stores and antique stores, especially when she knew a certain item would be loved by an individual when she gifted it to them.

Sharon was very active in the Ladies Aide in her church and the Red Hat Society. She enjoyed her flower gardens, watching birds from her kitchen window, and playing Chinese Checkers and cards.

Sharon entered the care of Avantara Norton in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at the age of 78.

Sharon is survived by her husband, Andrew Unruh; children, Michelle (Wade) Peterson, Aaron Miller, Christopher (Sarah) Miller, Mark (Elizabeth) Unruh, Timothy (Jennifer) Unruh; grandchildren, Adam, Gabrielle, Logan, Lance, Aidan, Kenneth and Nichole, Andrew, William, Dawson, Abigal and Alison; great-grandchildren, Phillip, Katlyn, Ryder and Jada; sister, Shirley (Greg) VanOverbeke of Ivanhoe, Minnesota; brothers, Calvin (Jean) Gilbert of Lake Benton, and Kenneth (Leona) Gilbert of Sioux Falls. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lowell; parents, Clifford and Vernetta; and one brother, Keith.