Sharon LeAnn Boltjes, 63, rural Adrian, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage in Luverne.
A funeral service was Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the United Methodist Church in Luverne with burial at the Adrian Cemetery in Adrian.
Sharon Lorenzen was born on Feb. 9, 1956, to Orland and LaVerle (Colbeck) Lorenzen in Pipestone. Her family lived in various places in Pipestone and Rock County until eventually settling in Magnolia. Sharon graduated from Magnolia High School in 1974 and then studied accounting at Pipestone Vo-Tech. She moved to Winona, where she worked at Winona National Savings and Loan Bank as a teller. She also took some classes at Winona State University. After nine years, Sharon headed west to Colorado. She lived in the Steamboat Springs area for the next seven years.
She then returned home to her roots in 1991 where she met the love of her life, David Boltjes. They were married on June 20, 1992, at the Magnolia United Methodist Church. They made their home on a farm southwest of Adrian. Sharon worked for a year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and then worked as secretary at Magnolia School. When the school closed, Sharon began a position as assistant to the media specialist at Luverne Public Schools in the library. She also directed school plays. In December of 2017, Sharon had to retire due to her diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer in addition to thyroid cancer.
Sharon was a member of Magnolia United Methodist Church where she enjoyed serving her church in various ways, including teaching Sunday School for many years. She was also a member of the Hardwick American Legion Auxiliary. She loved her dogs, especially her Labrador retrievers. Sharon was an avid reader and enjoyed listening to music and drinking wine. She liked taking part in community theater, dancing, cross country skiing and mountain biking during her time in Colorado.
Sharon is survived by her husband, David; a daughter, Haley Boltjes (Erik Ness) of Rochester; siblings Sheila Hazard of Sioux Falls, Randy (Becky) Lorenzen of Magnolia, Sharlene (Jim) Vrtacnik of Big Fork, Ryan (Rhonda) Lorenzen of Wakefield, Nebraska; and her nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Richard “Rick” Lorenzen; and a brother-in-law, Jeff Hazard.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, www.hartquistfuneral.com.
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