Sharon Woida

Sharon A. Woida, age 74, of Millerville, MN died on June 8, 2016, at the University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis.

Funeral services are at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at Our Lady of Seven Dolors in Millerville with Father Peter VanderWeyst presiding. Music is provided by The Voices of Joy Choir, and the organist is Rachel Wagner.

Visitation is from 5-8 on Monday with a 7 p.m., rosary and 7:30 p.m., parish prayers at Our Lady of Seven Dolors in Millerville. The visitation  will continue one hour prior to the service on Tuesday.

Sharon Ann Thoennes Woida was born on Christmas Day 1941 in Moorhead, MN to Lorraine Cousins. She attended elementary school in Millerville and high school in Brandon.

She was married to Arland Sletto and had her first daughter, Vicki, in 1959.

She was united in marriage to Myron Woida on December 7, 1968. In their early years together, they spent many nights dancing the night away at the hall to polka music. They had three children, Sandi, Tom, and Randy which made the family complete with four.

Sharon had jobs as a bookkeeper and store clerk. However, her favorite jobs were being a wife and mother. Sharon not only raised her own kids, but also babysat for other people’s children in town and her grandchildren. Watching her husband, children and the children she cared for flourish and grow was her pride and joy. From teaching the kids how to eat M&Ms properly in a dixie cup or making ice cream shakes her special way to her rhubarb pie and chocolate zucchini cake that no one can quite duplicate, she showed her family love every day. No one can make her recipes quite the same because they don’t have her love in them.

On any given day in the summer, Sharon could be found planting, pulling weeds, or harvesting depending on the time of summer. She knew how to grow plants, and there was a “best” way to do it!  Each year her gardens flourished and she was able to freeze and can the vast majority of vegetables, or make her pickles and sauces from them. She took pride in making and bringing “Grandma’s Pickles” to special occasions. Mostly, she found joy in visits from family and friends and sharing any food she made with them.

Besides her love of gardening, Sharon loved to play games- especially Phase 10, spoons, whist and cribbage with family -- sometimes staying up late into the night with laughter filling the air.

Sharon spent her last weeks fighting for her life, listening to polka music, and being loved by her husband and family. She will be dearly missed by those who loved her well.

Sharon was preceded in death by her mother, Lorraine Cousins; grandmother, Grace Thoennes; uncles, Ray Thoennes and Victor Thoennes; aunt, Evelyn Brinkman; and her sister, Mary Lou Asche.

Sharon is survived by her husband, Myron Woida;  four children, Vicki (Joe) Neterval of Evansville, Sandi (Scott) Stewart of Garfield, Tom (Kia) Woida of Moorhead, and Randy (Lacey) Woida of Millerville; eight grandchildren, Jason (Shannon) White, Digger (Erica) White, Adam (Stephanie) Korkowski, Billie Rae Korkowski (significant other Spencer Arnold), Grace Stewart, Courtney Neterval (fiance Josh Gosch), Justin and Alex Woida; eight great-grandchildren, Raina, Tatum, Britta, and Paisleigh White, Dezmond, Carter, and Jorja White, and Matthew Fuhs; three siblings, Lyla (Jim) Torkelson of Pipestone, Ev (Jim) Hermoe of St. James, Buzz (Arla) Cousins of Marshall; brother-in-law, Dave Asche of Ellsworth; as well as extended family, and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers are Jason White, Digger White, Justin Woida, Alex Woida, Adam Korkowski, and David Brinkman.

Honorary Pallbearers are her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.