Sharon was born to Frank E. Kesler and Stella (Zufall) Kesler on April 23,1943 in Fairmont, MN. She was the middle child of the three. The family grew up on a farm, where she learned canning, gardening, and cooking.
Sharon went to school and graduated in 1961 from Fairmont High School. She attended Mankato State University and graduated with her LPN degree. She married Sylvan Diekmann in 1963 and lived in Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. She started her LPN career at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Oahu, Hawaii. She had her first daughter, Tanya, at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts and her second daughter, Cindi, in Fairmont, MN.
She married her second husband, Eugene Johnson in 1972 and they planted their roots in Spring Lake Park, MN. She ended her nursing career at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, caring for many in the ICU unit. Sharon was widowed in 1987.
Sharon created many family memories camping with family at Bass Lake in Ely, MN. She spent many hours in her flower and vegetable gardens. Her grandkids meant everything to her. She attended many sporting events, band concerts and dance recitals. She spent many years being a brownie/girl scout leader and basketball coach. She loved her cats, sewing, knitting, crocheting and reading. She donated many hats and scarves to the SACA (Southern Anoka Community Assistance) that she hand knit.
Sharon was a 15 year breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's/Dementia in 2019. She was preceded in death by her parents Frank and Stella, sister Shirley Knoll, husband Eugene Johnson, ex-husband Sylvan Diekmann and granddaughter Samantha Cluts. She is survived by brother Stephen Kesler (Gaelen), her two daughters; Tanya Cluts (Mark) and Cindi Rella (Brian), four grandchildren with their significant others, one great grandson and many nieces and nephews.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kapalaglodekmalone.com for the Johnson family.
