SHAREN BIRKELAND
Sharen Birkeland, age 78, of Lake City, SD passed away of natural causes on September 7, 2022 at her lake home at Roy Lake, South Dakota.
Sharen Arlene Stadler was born in Britton, SD on September 27, 1943 to Howard and Ruby (Christopherson) Stadler. She lived in Arlington and Pierpont, SD before settling in Hayti, where she graduated high school in 1961. She then attended college as a Physical Education major at Huron College. While in college she married, and her first child Michael was born.
Shortly after college she moved to Sioux Falls where she met and married Floyd Birkeland of Beresford, SD. Together they had 3 children; Sonja, Patrick and Erik.
Sharen had a successful professional career in Sales and Marketing in Sioux Falls and was employed by John Hancock Life Insurance Co. (Sales), Executone Telephone Systems (Sales Manager), Holcomb Freightliner (Sales) and Apex Medical (Vice President & Sales Manager). She served as the Chairman of the Board for The March of Dimes for 3 years, and was a member of many professional groups including SME & Women in Business. She was also the first female member of the Toastmasters group and the first female Toastmaster of the Year. She had many accomplishments to be proud of and she opened doors for many businesswomen in Sioux Falls to follow. Multiple Sclerosis stole her professional career from her at the age of 42, but she never let that define her. She always wanted to retire at her favorite place in the world, Roy Lake, and that is what she did in 2002. She lived out her remaining years there working hard as a bartender, cook and server at Lake City Municipal and Charlies Resort, fishing and spending time with her family at the lake.
No matter what curveballs life threw at her, and there were many, she was always loving, kind, optimistic, funny, humble, compassionate and never felt sorry for herself. She said as long as she had God, family and Country that she was the luckiest woman in the world. She was a ray of hope, wisdom and sunshine to all who knew her. She was the most wonderful daughter, sister, mother and grandmother and her legacy of love, spirit, determination and faith in God will never be forgotten.
Blessed to have shared her life are her children Michael Birkeland of Lake City, SD; Sonja Birkeland-Thomas of Sioux Falls, SD; Patrick (Helen) Birkeland of Sioux Falls, SD; and son-in-law EdwardThomasofLarchwood, IA. Her Grandchildren Erika Miller; Samantha (Danny) Schroeder; Owen Birkeland; Luke Birkeland and Lilly Birkeland all of Sioux Falls. She was blessed with 7 Great Grandchildren; Riley, Evelyn, Aaron, Noah, Finn, Stella and Levi, and a new one on the way. Other survivors include her sister Shawn (Mark) Buss of Council Bluffs, IA; brother John Stadler of Minneapolis, MN; brother Jeff (Marlene) Stadler of Pacifica, CA; along with many special cousins, nieces and nephews, and her lifelong best friend Janice Kornmann of Sioux Falls, SD.
She was preceded in death by her beloved son Erik, greatgrandson Levi, brothers David and Morris, and her parents Howard and Ruby.
A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date and we hope all whose lives she touched can attend and rejoice in the beautiful life she lived and shared with us all.