Sharon Knapp, 78, Lincoln, died Saturday (2-19-11) of pancreatic cancer. She was born Sharon Lynne Peterson in Kearney, Nebraska on October 13, 1932 to Grace and Henry (Cannon) Peterson.
She attended Kearney Senior High School. After high school, she entered Kearney State College, where she majored in elementary education. While in college, she met James Knapp, whom she married in 1953. She and Jim were married until Jim’s death in 1989. It was a marriage, Sharon often said, that was never dull. Sharon taught in the Brady and Lincoln pubic schools while Jim attended law school. They moved to Kearney in 1957, where Jim practiced law and Sharon raised their two children, Peter and Becky. Always active in the life of her community, Sharon served on the Kearney Board of Education from 1972 through 1976, and was the first woman elected president of that board. She chaired the Nebraska Commission on the Status of Women, and was an early advocate of Title IX. In the early 1980’s, she was the Director of the Head Start Program in Kearney, and from 1984 through 1990, she was a member and then president of the Board of Trustees for the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. In the 1980’s, she returned to school, and obtained her Master of Arts in Educational Administration.
When her husband Jim died, Sharon moved to Lincoln, and began the second act of her life. She authored curriculum for grief workshops, and was active with Widowed Persons Services. In 1995, she obtained her Ph.D. from the University in Community and Human Resources. She worked as a training facilitator for Wilson Learning for several years before retiring, and then retirement did not suit her, became a business consultant. During her time in Lincoln, she remained active as a docent at the Shelton Art Gallery, a member of the Nebraska Committee for High Education, and several other legislative task forces. She enjoyed traveling, the arts, and spending time with her friends and grandchildren.
Sharon is survived by her daughter Becky Anderson, her son-in-law Mike Anderson of Grand Island, NE and their daughters Trish and Christi; her son Peter Knapp, her daughter-in-law Cindy Jesson of St. Paul, MN, and their sons, Brad Cousins and his wife Adrienne, Christopher Knapp, Nathan Jesson, and John Knapp; her sister, Carolyn Niekum of Sidney, NE. She leaves a host of friends who will miss her dearly.
There will be a brief Celebration of Life at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 26, at Sheridan Lutheran Church, 6955 Old Cheney Road in Lincoln.
Memorials preferred to Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, P. O. Box 880300, Lincoln, NE 68588-0300; Museum of Nebraska Art, 2401 Central Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847 or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, www.pancan.org.
No Visitation/Cremation.
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