Sharon Rae (Kent) Petron Anderson

Sharon Rae (Kent) Petron Anderson, our beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend passed away October 26, 2024, in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota. She was born January 15, 1951, in Las Vegas, Nevada the daughter of Ray and Rosie Kent and the youngest of four sisters. She grew up in Las Vegas where she loved being with her family on Lake Mead fishing, water skiing, hunting deer in northern Nevada, and spending summers on the beach in California with her aunts and cousins. 

After graduating from Valley High School in 1969, Sharon married Joseph (Joe) Petron on June 6, 1969, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They moved to Hibbing, Minnesota where together they raised four children on the family farm. Sharon and Joe were later divorced, and she married Tom Anderson on October 8, 2008.

When her children got older, Sharon went back into the workforce. She drove bus for the Shubat Bus Company from 1982-1989. She drove K-12 students to school and the sport teams when they had a game outside of town. She worked the production line for Hibbing Electronics from 1989-1994.

Her dream job started in 1994 when she was hired on at Hibbing Taconite. She worked her way from laborer to truck driver hauling iron ore from the open pits to the plant. She excelled when she became a shovel operator. She enjoyed this position very much. The seat she sat in was two stories off the ground and she had to take a hydraulic lift to climb into the cab. As a shovel operator, she developed a special skill of gently placing a huge amount of iron ore into a dump truck. The shovel she operated could hold up to 240 tons of ore! She did all this with style: her beautiful hands adorned with her many rings and knockout-colored nails working two joysticks. She took care of her drivers because she had been one for ten years! She appreciated the co-workers who taught her and who were patient with her when she was first learning. 

After she retired, she decided to become a Driver’s Ed instructor! She studied hard for the test and passed. She loved working with the kids and going out with them on the roads in all kinds of weather. She worked until her health no longer permitted her to do so. 

Sharon loved the farm, camping, eating out, playing in the sun and water, and cabin life. She loved animals and always had a dog. Most of all, she loved her family and was so deeply proud of them. We will never forget her and will always remember her beauty and fun spirit. 

Sharon was preceded in death by her mother Rosie Kent, her dad Ray Kent, sister Nora Mae Barney Skelly, grandparents Virgil and Lena Inks and John Henry and Kate Kent, her beloved grandson MacKenzy M. Clifton, and several aunts and uncles. She is survived by her husband Tom, children John (Melonie), Joey (Kara), Jacob (Deb) and Mandy, thirteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren, and her sisters Connie Romero (Jim) and Kay Furniss (Blaine), along with many cousins, nephews, and nieces who dearly loved their Auntie Sharon. 

In the winter of 2020 Sharon’s health deteriorated and she was placed on a lung transplant list. Miraculously, a week later a donor match was found, and she underwent a double lung transplant. Sharon knew how treacherous this surgery would be but while she was not afraid to die, she was not ready to leave her loved ones. Her courage and determination to fight was exceptional. The family wishes to tenderly recognize the anonymous organ donor and their family and express their appreciation for this gift that was given her. The family is also grateful for the care she received at the University hospital in Minneapolis, her team of doctors, nurses, family and friends who ministered to her. True heroes and angels surrounded Sharon in her final days.

Funeral services for Sharon will be 1:00 pm, Saturday, November 2, 2024, at the Dougherty Funeral Home in Hibbing. The Rev. Fr. Bill Skarich will officiate. Visitation will be from 5-7pm, Friday, November 1, 2024, at the Dougherty funeral home in Hibbing. The visitation will continue from 12:00 noon until the 1:00 pm service at the funeral home on Saturday. Interment will be in the Gilbert Cemetery, Gilbert, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Breathing New Life, their website is; www.breathingnewlife.org. Arrangements are with the Dougherty Funeral Home of Hibbing.