Sharon Lee Ferguson Shaw's Obituary
Sharon Lee Ferguson Shaw, “Fergie”, 71, of Saratoga Springs, Utah, passed away peacefully from natural causes on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 12:51 pm at CommonSpirit Hospital in Lehi, Utah.
Sharon was born on October 5th, 1952, in Farmington, New Mexico to Mary Althea Wilkins and Donald Lee Ferguson. She grew up in New Mexico where she spent a lot of time on her grandfather's cattle farm during the summers and often visited Ramah, New Mexico. Sharon said that during this time her family had the best milk and beef ever! She grew up with her siblings, step-father Dale Harper, step-brother Robert Harper, and her favorite cousins Ruthanne Bridges and Richard Wilkins. She often reminisced about and missed her favorite cat, a Siamese named Shaney. Her hometown of Gallup was near the Navajo Reservation and she admired their artistic abilities and skills. She also took Spanish in high school and loved to practice it at any opportunity.
Sharon graduated from Gallup High School in 1970. Excitingly she attended her 51st high school reunion and visited her childhood home in 2021. Sharon graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1975 in Elementary Education with a minor in Social Sciences. She did her student teaching at Loveland Elementary school in West Jordan, Utah. Sharon and her family moved to Washington State in 1990’s, where she taught a major portion of her career at Jefferson Elementary School. She later went on to earn her Master's Degree in Education from Heritage University in Washington. Following her career in Washington, she followed a family friend out to California for more teaching opportunities, to finish her teaching career. She taught primarily at Wardlaw Elementary School. During her 27-year teaching career, she taught 1st grade through high school, specializing in elementary special education. She moved back to Utah to retire.
She met Ralph Ernest Shaw, “Ernie”, in the spring of 1974 at BYU and they were sealed together, for time and all eternity, in the Manti temple on December 20th, 1974. December 2024 will be their 50th marriage anniversary, though she has passed on. Sharon and Ernie loved to watch movies, listen to audiobooks, and hold hands. She learned ASL and loved to sing the hymn “How Great Thou Art” while Ernie sang in church. You could often see Sharon signing in her seat while the church congregation sang that hymn. Ernie enjoyed serenading her with love songs. Sharon and Ernie both wanted a big family, and were blessed to welcome six children into their marriage: four boys and two girls.
Sharon is known for her fierce kindness, intelligence, determination, smile, and sense of humor. She had a voracious mind; and she loved to read novels and nonfiction. She traveled to Alaska, Peru, Mexico, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, to name a few. Sharon loved to watch old movies, medical dramas, and crime shows. Sharon loved to sew, repair clothing, quilt, and crochet for herself and others, which gave her joy. She also embroidered by hand; and after retiring, she learned how to machine embroider. She enjoyed toll-painting and later in life, she took up oil painting where she focused on landscapes. Sharon loved to tell her family and friends stories of growing up in New Mexico and all her shenanigans. Her mother, Mary, made the best caramels and candies; Sharon endeavored to whip up these treats the same way her mother made them; she even compiled a recipe book with her mother’s recipes and stories.
Sharon was a great woman of faith and deeply loved God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son Jesus Christ. She practiced his teaching and followed his Spirit faithfully and obediently through it all: sufferings, heartbreaks, illnesses, struggles, and pains. In equal measure, she found and freely shared her strength and love. By listening to the Spirit, she was able to reach out to serve others: those with needs unseen and unspoken. Forgiveness, love, and mercy were her stock and trade! She will be sorely missed here below the heavens. Sharon was called back to our eternal heavenly home to continue serving the Lord. Our beautiful wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin Sharon now rests from the labors and travails of this mortal life.
She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Ralph Ernest Shaw; her sons, Ernest Lee Shaw (Sommer Alishia Shaw), Sean Michael Shaw (Otilia Rojas Shaw), Greg Dale Shaw, and Brett Eric Shaw; and daughters, Laurel Bloomfield Shaw, Erin Kathleen Cole (Thomas John Cole), and “adopted” daughter Sol Eva McNally. Sharon is also survived by her sister, Linda Thornburg; her grandsons, Samuel Ayani Everton, Skyler Lee Everton, Joshua Spencer Shaw, Jonah Reilly Shaw, and James William Shaw; granddaughters, Amanda Joy Shaw, Valerie Michelle Shaw, and Emily Megan Shaw; and great grandchildren.
Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Althea Wilkins and Donald Lee Ferguson; brother Andrew “Andy” Dale Harper and step-brother Robert Harper.
Services will be held on Saturday, October 5th, 2024. The viewing will start at 10:00 am with the Funeral Services at 11:00 am, both at her LDS church building at 2181 Harvest Moon Drive in Saratoga Spring, Utah. Following the funeral, she will be laid to rest at the Lehi City Cemetery. We celebrate Sharon’s life on what would have been her 72nd birthday.
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