Sharon Lee Bonebright was born on June 30th, 1943 in Williston, N.D. to Everett and Grace Bonebright. She was one of three children. Sharon was raised in Culbertson, MT where she graduated high school. Some of her fond memories of growing up in Culbertson were sledding down Skunk Hill and working at the Tastee Freeze.
After graduation from Culbertson High School, she attended college at the University of Montana in Missoula where she had been awarded a music scholarship. Sharon married Douglas Rau on January 19th, 1968. Doug and Sharon had three children: Seana, Rhetta and Justin.
Sharon wore a number of hats in the public eye. First and foremost, she was the mother of 3 children that were in sports, rodeo, music competitions and 4-H. Every year before fair time, she would help her kids halter break steers, polish horse hooves and timing them on rodeo events. Sharon would often pack up the camper, load the horse trailer and take the kids to their rodeo events around Montana, North and South Dakota.
In the late 1960’s and thru the 70’s, Sharon was a social worker and then the Executive Director of the Richland County Welfare Department. After 12 years with the Welfare Department, she retired and then worked as a music teacher at Rau School for 13 years. Sharon would coordinate the annual Rau School Christmas play-- an event that so many people enjoyed watching!
Sharon’s last rewarding job was being the Director of the Chamber of Commerce in Sidney for 13 years until 2004 when she suffered a severe brain injury. After numerous brain surgeries and months of rehabilitation, Sharon was able to go back to work part-time. She also stayed active within her church community. Sharon thoroughly enjoyed organizing events for the town such as Arts in the Park, the Sunrise Music Festival, Peter Paddlefish Day and the Christmas Stroll.
Sharon played a big role in shaping the businesses that make up this community and for many, a part of their success can be attributed to Sharon’s hard work and dedication to Sidney.
When someone told Sharon that it could not be done, she would find a way to get it done. Sharon had wanted to become an attorney but was told “women don’t go into that field.” That of course led Sharon to strive for larger goals. Sharon later became the first female Kiwanis president. Senators had mailed her letters telling her congratulations on that accomplishment.
Sharon lost her best friend, Doug on August 16, 2013. She later sold the farm and briefly bought a townhouse in Sidney before moving to Billings to be closer to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Sharon gained her angel wings on December, 19th, 2021 to be with the Lord.
Sharon loved scrapbooking and was very passionate about showing off her grandkids and great-grandkids. Sharon loved when “her babies” would visit at the senior living home so she could get more pictures and brag up a storm. She had also enjoyed ceramics, started a T-Shirt design business and anything with being creative. She loved playing games and would never pass up a good game of Farkle.
Sharon was preceded in death by her husband Doug, her father and mother, sister Joyce Persson, brother Gary Bonebright.
Sharon is survived by daughters Seana Rau, Billings, MT; Rhetta Rau, Billings, MT; son Justin (Tressa) Rau of Big Sky, MT; grandsons Darrin (Cassie) Williams, Chad (Skyla) Williams, Trent (Paisley) Rau, Jett Rau; granddaughters Trystan Rau, Alexis Conyers and Paige Conyers; 6 great-grandchildren, niece Terry (Weymouth) Symmes, nephew Barry Persson, and many other nephews, nieces and cousins.