Sharon Marie Gustafson

Sharon Marie Gustafson, age 82, of Minneapolis, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

Sharon was born November 14, 1943, in Washburn, WI and raised in Bayfield, WI, the second oldest of the five children of Bernard and Elvira (Cook) Gustafson. Sharon attended Holy Family Catholic School until 8th grade and then Bayfield High School where she graduated in 1961. Upon graduation, she joined her sister in Minneapolis. Sharon was employed by Prudential Insurance doing clerical work.

Sharon moved to Ashland, WI in 1967 with her daughter, Dana. She worked for 25 years starting at Saint Joseph's hospital and then moved to the brand-new Memorial Medical Center where she worked in the office on Medicare billing. In 1993, she retired early at the age of 49 to move to Germantown, Maryland to live with her daughter, son- in-law, and granddaughter and to be a full-time grandma and nanny. This was her dream come true as she loved children.

In 1996, Sharon moved with her daughter's family to Lakeville, Minnesota where she continued to nanny and babysit many neighborhood children (of special note, Paulina Holmberg and the three Branson kids) and dote on her three grandchildren. To her grandchildren, and to all the kids she babysat, she was known as "Grammy". In 2017, she moved with her daughter and son-in-law to Minneapolis, Minnesota and lived there until moving into memory care in 2025.

Sharon had a passion for entertainment, movies, TV, and celebrities. She logged in her movie journal every movie she had seen (hundreds), was a loyal subscriber to People magazine and a big fan of Ryan Gosling. She was also a loyal fan of the soap opera "Young and the Restless", and the reality show "Dancing with the Stars", whose happenings she would discuss daily with her sister (Lorna) Mary. She was also an avid Minnesota Vikings fan and would watch the games in order to compete with her sister, a Green Bay Packers fan, to see who had bragging rights.

Sharon was full of positive energy, fun-loving, and always ready to boost you up. She loved playing games, especially Uno, and was famous for her special notes and letters to her grandchildren, her dozens of pictures displayed on walls and shelves, her card and gift-giving, her love of animals, and her dedication to her family and the children she babysat.

Sharon was preceded in death by her special nephews Alan Tomczak and Steven Tomczak, her parents Elvira and Bernard Gustafson, and her cat Sadie.

Sharon is survived by her sister Valerie Bielke of Georgia, brother Charles Gustafson of Wisconsin, sister Lorna Mary Tomczak of Wisconsin, brother Robert (Marcella) Gustafson of Oklahoma, her daughter Dana (Joseph) Koletar of Minnesota, grandchildren Courtney (JB Sheets) Koletar of California, Josh (Laura) Koletar of Minnesota, and Jeremy (Anna) Koletar, as well as her darling great-granddaughter Clara Jo Koletar, of Minnesota, honorary granddaughter Paulina Holmberg, as well as several nieces, a nephew, a grand-niece and several grand-nephews.

A heartfelt thank you to the nurses and staff of St. Croix Hospice and the caregivers and staff at Prairie Heights Memory Care of Eden Prairie, MN.

A memorial service in Minneapolis, MN and a burial in Bayfield, WI will take place next summer.

Memorials, in lieu of flowers, can be made in her name to the Animal Humane Society https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/ or other local animal shelter of your choice.