Shari Ann Sass

Shari Sass, age 66, of Flandreau, SD (formerly of Lake Preston, SD) gained her angel wings on Tuesday, October 17, 2023. Shari was surrounded by her loving family until she was called to her heavenly home. Arrangements have been entrusted to Johnson-Henry Funeral Home of Arlington, Lake Preston and Oldham.

Shari Ann Sass was born on May 22, 1957 to Milburn & Lois (Beck) Sass in Lake Preston, SD. She attended special education classes in Arlington and DeSmet, SD. After school, Shari moved to Huron, SD and attended/worked at the Center for Independence. She then attended Advance in Brookings. She moved back to Lake Preston for a short time and then moved to Madison in 2009, to Dakota Sun Assisted Living in Volga in 2013, to Edgewood Vista Assisted Living in Flandreau in 2014 and she currently was a resident at Riverview Healthcare in Flandreau.

Shari was blessed to be able to live an active life and to be able to have jobs that she enjoyed. She helped refinish furniture, made rugs, worked on a cleaning crew, babysat, washed dishes at Susie’s Cafe in Lake Preston, a cafe in DeSmet, and at the Crossroads in Huron, and did some packet assembly for Larson Windows in Brookings.

Shari loved coloring fuzzy velvet posters, painting canvas art, doing latch hook, making pot holders, doing word find puzzles and competing in Special Olympic events. She excelled in swimming, fast walk and softball events and had many medals to prove it, especially gold medals that she loved to show off and display!

She loved her family and friends and truly enjoyed spending time with them and also attending her niece’s and nephew’s events. Shari was a Minnesota Vikings fan and loved to sing, and boy...could she carry a tune! She had a contagious smile and a great laugh. Shari would want us to live by this quote by E.E. Cummings -“The most wasted of all days is a day without laughter!”

Shari was preceded in death by her parents, Milburn & Lois Sass; her fraternal and maternal grandparents; her nephew, Travis Sass; several aunts/uncles, cousins and friends.

She is survived by her siblings: Susan (husband Lanny) Olson, Terry Sass, Deborah (husband Blaine) Miller all of Lake Preston; Becky (husband Dale) Schroeder of Flandreau, Tammy (Sass) Kerr of Spencer, SD, and Audra (husband Roger) Wilson of Badger, SD; many nieces and nephews (Chad Olson, Andrea Miller, Teresa Olson, Marcia Olson, Michele Beattie, Joey Miller, Brad Olson, Brian Kerr, Joshua Sass, Kayla Kerr, Kylie Lustfield, and Gage Wilson; and great-nieces/nephews (Colby Olson, Elijah Miller, Shelby Olson, Maddie Olson, Landon Beattie, Colton Kerr, Grant Kerr, Brianne Kerr and Lindie Wilson).

A joyful Celebration of Life will be held in the Spring of 2024. Burial will be held at that time in the Lake Preston Cemetery in Lake Preston, SD.

Memorials can be made to the Lake Preston Cemetery, the Lake Preston American Legion, the Special Olympics, or to your favorite charity in honor of Shari.