Sharon LaVore Stensland Deibler was born April 29, 1937, in Westhope, N.D., to Engvald and Vivian (Williams) Stensland. She died at her home in Garrison, N.D., on Oct. 12, 2009.

She was raised on a farm in the Antler/Mohall area and graduated from Mohall High School. She was active in school activities and 4-H, winning state awards. She left the farm to attend North Dakota Agriculture College, where she met her husband-to-be, Frank. J. Deibler, Jr.. at an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. They loved to dance!

On September 9, 1956, Sharon and Frank were married in Bethel Lutheran Church near Antler, N.D. They were blessed to celebrate 51 years of marriage before Frank's death in December 2007. Sharon worked as a bookkeeper to help Frank finish college, after which they moved to Bismarck. Frank began his 30-year career in the farm implement business with 10 years as an employee of the John Deere Co. traveling out of Bismarck and then Williston. They moved to Garrison in 1969 and bought the local John Deere dealership, which they owned and operated for 20 years. Sharon brought her bookkeeping skills to the family business.

Sharon launched her own sales career by becoming a Kitchen Fair cookware and accessories dealer, selling at home parties or individual showings. She also knitted nylon net scrubbers, which became a popular item at bazaars and craft sales. She filled orders for scrubbers from small retailers around the state. Sharon enjoyed needlework, and conquered hardanger and complex, lined knit sweaters. She also liked scrapbooking, stamping, and card-making.

Sharon loved to travel. She and Frank visited Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Mexico and several other places. They liked road trips, and explored much of the West, taking time to stop in almost every antique store along the way! She was a collector, with an eye for pottery, bone china, and occupied Japan collectibles.

Sharon was active in the community, serving as a 4-H leader for many years. She belonged to the American Legion Auxiliary for 42 continuous years, serving in almost every office including president. She had been the Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation chairman for more than a decade, remembering our active troops with cards and gifts throughout the year. Sharon was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garrison.

Sharon is survived by: her son, Kyle, Scottsdale, Ariz.; daughter, Sheila, Fort Collins, Colo.; sisters-in-law, Mary Misek, Granville, N.D., Donna (Phil) Cardarelli, Waltham, Mass.; and brother-in-law, Donald (Geraldine) Deibler of Edmond, Okla.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Engvald Stensland and Vivian (Ernest) Nelson; and her beloved husband, Frank J. Deibler, Jr.

Memorial service: Will be Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garrison.

To sign the register, go to (www.garrisonthompson.com).

(Thompson Funeral Home, Garrison)