With her husband, children, and spouses by her side, Sharon Ann Wayne passed away peacefully on March 15, 2024, in the comfort of her riverside home in Thief River Falls. She was accompanied by her family the entire time. On December 1st, 1945, Sharon Greenwald was born to her parents, Margaret and Howard Greenwald. She was raised in a number of different locations, including Arizona and Minnesota, but the most of her childhood was spent in Plummer, Minnesota, where she visited her relatives and enjoyed spending time with them.
From Pershing High School, she received her diploma in the year 1963.Sharon began a wonderful journey of love and partnership on December 28, 1963, when she was united in marriage to Rodney Wayne at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Plummer, Minnesota. This event marked the beginning of a glorious lifetime together.As a couple, they traveled to California before coming back to the Twin Cities in 1965. They had a strong desire to be closer to their family and to experience the changing of the seasons.
The births of their three children took place in the Twin Cities where they resided. In 1972, they eventually made their home in Grand Plain Township, where they began their farming pursuits that would continue for more than four decades. They were looking for a different pace of life and wanted to be closer to their family so that they could raise their children there. The Northwest Vocational College in Thief River Falls was where Sharon attended classes in order to earn a degree in accounting.
During the course of her career, she worked as a mother, a bookkeeper, a dedicated farmer, a payroll accountant, and a bank teller. He performed the organ in the Catholic Church in Plummer and in Goodridge, in addition to playing the piano and the guitar when she was in school. She also played several instruments. Both Sharon and Rodney had a strong affection for traveling. They had pleasure in traveling across virtually all fifty states by car, going on cruises with their friends Doyle and Sue Nelson, and going on vacations to South Africa and Amsterdam with her sister-in-law Margaret Haddan, which were also amazing experiences.
She would have been willing to do anything at least once, including horseback riding, dune bug riding, jet skiing, and parasailing, among other such activities. The quick wit and sense of humor that she possessed, which was frequently punctuated by amusing one-liners, won her the affection of everyone who knew her. The warmth and joy that Sharon offered to those who loved her was a result of her laughing and her lighthearted approach to life.
Her family includes her husband Rodney Wayne, her children Tim Wayne and his wife Bonita of Hawley, Minnesota, Jeff Wayne and his wife Tammy of Dilworth, Minnesota, and Kimberly Meuret of Honolulu, Hawaii. Sharon is survived by her extended family. The following are her grandchildren: Tyler Wayne, Jessica Neel (and her husband Andrew), Brandon Wayne (and his wife Alyssa), Kelsi Wayne, and Kari Wayne. Her great-grandchildren, Breckin and Braydin Wayne, Hallie Wayne, Rylan Neel, Jace Neel, and Daxton Neel, continued to be the source of the light that illuminated her life.
Richard Greenwald, who is married to Bonnie, sister-in-law Charles Simpson, brother Michael Greenwald, who is married to Sandy, brother Monte Greenwald, and brother John Greenwald are all members of the Greenwald family. A large number of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends, as well as a sister-in-law named Margaret (Micheal) Haddan, brother-in-laws Jerry Wayne and John Wayne, and many others.
Sharon’s parents, her sister Jolayne Simpson, and her father and mother-in-law, William and Evelyn Wayne, were all on hand to welcome her back into their family. Sharon’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all remembered and loved mom with tremendous affection. She was a rock of support, a confidante, a soulmate, a best friend, and a partner to her husband of sixty years, Rodney Wayne, and she left behind a legacy of love that will be passed down through many generations. St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Thief River Falls, Minnesota will be the location of the Mass of Christian Burial that will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 1:30 PM.
Father Craig Vasek will preside over the ceremony. Germantown Cemetery, nearby Goodridge, Minnesota, will be the location of the interment. On Monday, visitation will begin at five o’clock in the evening, and a prayer service will take place at six o’clock in the evening at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. On Tuesday, visitation will begin one hour before the funeral.
