Sharon Niesen

A wonderful lady, world-renowned for her artistic capabilities from cooking, baking, drawing, painting, decorating cakes, designing floral arrangements to being a fantastic dancer to anything she put her mind to has went home to be with her Lord and her parents, Gilbert and Virginia (Berden) Niesen.

Sharon Lucille Niesen, brought into this world on the kitchen table of her maternal grandparents, David Earl and Genevieve (Major) Berden, October 26, 1940. They lived on Galbraith Road, just off South River Road, only a few miles away from her home where she passed away, Friday, March 22, 2024, at the young age of 83.

She grew up the eldest of seven children, attending the one room schoolhouse known as Benton #6 at the corner of Orchard Beach and Little
Canada Roads through the 7 th grade, then to St. Mary’s for 8 th grade followed by St. Charles Catholic High School from grades 9-12, graduating from the Catholic High School with the Class of 1958. Throughout her lifetime, she worked as a nurse, in the bakery at the B&C Supermarket and a dairy farmer all while making the most beautiful wedding cakes your eyes have ever seen. For several years she worked
three full-time jobs and while at home she not only cared for her family but took care of many in her home dying of cancer. Her door was always open. She would move furniture around to make room for hospital beds, change their dressings and make all their meals and did all that along with working three jobs. To say she was amazing, and a strong woman is to say the least. She did not have to wonder why she had high blood pressure. From the age of twenty-six she began doing genealogy before the internet and relatives seldom told the truth, including her own Grandma Berden. Being convinced that she was an Indian and her grandma did not want that word used in her house and denied it. Today, we all know how badly the government treated the Native Americans and we now know her fear was having her children taken away by the government. She witnessed that with her own eyes. Sharon on the other hand driven and determined to prove she was Native American did exactly that because she needed to know the truth. In January, she was so proud to have the State of Michigan recognize that she is in fact a blood descendant of William and Madeleine (Bourassa) McGulpin, with Madeleine being Native American. She has not only fought hard to prove this fact but also fought hard for others by being the Chair of the Mackinac Bands and trying to gain their federal recognition. She not only was Native American but also German and had their stubbornness. She always stood up for what she believed in, even if it meant standing alone, and everyone knew where they stood with her. She always said that she loves you just as deeply as she hates, and if she did not like you, it was not something you had to wonder about. Her entire life except for the last few years, she voted as a staunch democrat, but they have her so wound up that she flipped to the republican side and swore she would never vote for another democrat even if they were running for the school board. Something else she was extremely proud of is her Catholic faith. She was born Catholic, pressured to be baptized in another church in the sixties and had all her sacraments of the Catholic church restored to her on April 19, 2014. She cried when she was able to finally have communion once again. Sharon saved everything her hands held, especially if it belonged to a loved one. She loved her family deeply no matter how dysfunctional they may be. She has left behind a hell of a lot of stuff for Kip and Sherri who have no idea what to do with, and they are sure to run into things that they will not even know what they were used for and are sure it will be a journey not just with the hands but the heart. As she always said, “Look for me in the moments…I will be there.”

Continuing on with their memories of her are two children; Kip A. Thibeault and Sherri (Robert) Czuchra, four grandchildren; Keith, Jessica, Luke, and Bradley and two great grandchildren; Keegan and Isabella. Her siblings; Mary (Don) MacLeod, Elna (Don) Bishop, and Keith Niesen.

Siblings who preceded her in death are Barbara J. Bur, Gilbert H. Niesen and David J. Niesen, along with one great grandchild, Everett Thibeault.

Cremation has taken place with arrangements in the hands of Beck Funeral Home in Rogers City.

Final arrangements along with a celebration of life will be announced in the future with inurnment in the family cemetery, Niesen and Berden Memorial Cemetery, adjacent to St. Francis Cemetery in Alverno, Michigan.

Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be sent to Kip A. Thibeault or Sherri L. Czuchra at 7688 South River Road, Cheboygan,

Michigan 49721 or to the charity of your choice.