Sharon L. Determan, age 58, of Huron, SD passed away Friday, August 31, 2018 at the Huron Regional Medical Center surrounded by her family after a short, but courageous battle with cancer. Her funeral mass was celebrated at 2:00 PM on Friday, September 7th, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Huron. Burial with military honors will be at a later date in St. Martin's Catholic Cemetery, Emery, SD.
Sharon L. Determan was born May 29, 1960, to Cletus and Helen (Bauer) Determan Hilgenberg at St. Joseph Hospital, Mitchell, South Dakota. Sharon attended St. Martin's Catholic School and Emery Public School. During her high school years, she participated in and very much enjoyed playing basketball. She went on to graduate in 1978.
After serving in the South Dakota National Guard, she joined the United States Marine Corps where she was stationed in San Diego, California. Upon obtaining an honorable discharge from the service, Sharon attended Mitchell Vocational Technical School and earned a degree in Electronic Communications. Following graduation, she was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration as an electronic technician and spent a year of training in Bismarck, ND. She then relocated to Huron, SD where she worked for 32 years. After a successful career as an Airway Transportation Systems Specialist, she retired in 2016.
Sharon met Teri Aune in 1986 in Mitchell, SD. Together they enjoyed camping, fishing, a good BBQ with a few beers, movies and of course, traveling to cat shows around the Midwest. They took time along the way to experience some of the cities they traveled to. Gambling trips with her mom and siblings were always an adventure for her. Playing scrabble with her mom over the internet gave Sharon the continuing challenge to try to best her, which was a rare occurrence according to Sharon. The fun and laughter of her siblings' little ones always brought home stories that made Sharon smile.
Sharon's passion was her Persian cats. She could not wait to retire to adventure deeper into the world of raising and showing CFA registered Champion and Grand Champion Persian cats and enjoying the wonderful people she met along the way.
Being a very private person with a solid sense of who she was, Sharon was never boisterous or grandiose. She was always grounded in what was. Her sense of humor, experienced by few, yet so loved by those who got a taste of it, will not be forgotten.
She was preceded in death by her father, Cletus Bernard Determan, step-father, Paul Hilgenberg and his son, Steve.
Grateful for having shared in her life are her life partner of 32 years, Teri Aune; her beloved mother, Helen Determan Hilgenberg; her treasured siblings, Carol (Tom) Schulte, Gerald Determan, Nancy (Bill) Winans, Marilyn (Terry) Kewley and Don Determan; Teri's father Andy Aune and sister Deb (Al) Wacha, fifteen nieces and nephews; and five Hilgenberg step-siblings and their families, and many aunts, uncles and cousins.