Sharon Kay (Jorgenson) Petersen

Sharon Kay (Jorgenson) Petersen, age 78, from Rock Springs WI, passed away on September 8, 2026. She was born on November 11, 1947, in Monroe WI to Marian and Merlin Jorgenson. Sharon and LeRoy Petersen were married on May 13, 1989, in Reedsburg WI. 

As a child Sharon lived on the family farm in Wiota Township. Growing up as the middle child, she shared a lifelong, unbreakable bond with her older brother, Arleigh and younger brother, Duane. Her formative years were spent at Van Matre school and on the softball diamond. After graduating from Darlington High School in 1965, she attended college at St. Olaf College. After graduating Cum Laude in 1969 she started her career as a Spanish teacher and became known to many as Señora. She earned her Master’s in Education in 1993 and retired in 2004 after 32 years of teaching. Sharon returned to work the following year after being approached to work with the ESL program. After taking the position, she returned to college and earned her professional educator license in ESL and became certified in bilingual education. Soon she was leading the district department for ESL education. She finally retired after finding out that her first grandson was on the way.  She had worked for 43 years in a profession that she loved. 

Family was extremely important to Sharon. She spent a lot of time with her parents, brothers, nieces, nephews, and with her two daughters. She also very much loved her many cousins and extended family members. Sharon was able to take that love a step further by tracing her family roots back to Norway.

Sharon loved to travel and seized every opportunity to explore the world. Beyond traveling with students to Spain and Mexico, she loved journeying across Europe, making six pilgrimages to connect with her ancestral roots in Norway. 

She is survived by her husband LeRoy, her daughters Emily (Chad), and Sarah (Ryan), her brother Arleigh (Joni), her grandchildren Quentin, Gracyn, Arvo and Raven. She was preceded in death by her father Merlin, mother Marian, and brother Duane. 

A visitation for Sharon will be held at the Farber Funeral Home in Reedsburg on Friday, September 18 from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm. Her funeral will be conducted on Saturday, September 19 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Reedsburg, at 11:00 am. Following the service lunch will be served at St. John Church. The Burial will be in the Apple Grove Church Cemetery in Argyle, WI on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 11:00 am. 

We would like to extend our love and unending thanks to family, friends, and members of Sharon’s church community who showed their support for Sharon during her final days. We would also like to give our heart filled thanks to the medical staff at SSM Health and St. Mary’s Hospital for their compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Reedsburg. 

Memories or condolences maybe shared at https://www.farberfuneralhome.com/