Sharon was born Jan. 11, 1941, to Floyd and Royce Mae Cydrus as the youngest of three girls.

The family traveled a lot as Floyd was a minister and went where he was called. They settled back in Spokane, Wash., close to where her story started. There, she enjoyed riding horses and living a good country life on Moran Prairie. It was here, in the second grade, that she met her future husband, Leo Clearwater. They were married in March of 1959 until my father’s death in 2003. They had two children, a boy (Richard) and a girl (Penney). After a brief time in Portland, Ore., Sharon and Leo moved to Post Falls, Idaho, and settled there for the rest of their lives. Sharon went back to college and became an LPN, working first at Kootenai Health and then to retirement at Sacred Heart.

I want to concentrate on my mom as a person. She was little, but she was fierce! She was stubborn, opinionated and the biggest Mamma Bear you've ever seen. She was strong, vulnerable, emotional and dedicated to her family. She loved to laugh, and there were times that I can remember laughing until we couldn't breathe with tears running from our eyes. She had eyes in the back of her head and an amazingly accurate intuition, especially when it came to her children.

As an animal lover, there was never a time that there wasn't an assortment of dogs and cats in our house. We even had a baby calf in the basement for a time, from Grandpa's farm! Try explaining that to friends who came over and heard it moo! When I was a teenager, we had two Afghan hounds, a Siberian husky and a Great Dane, all at the same time!

When my dad passed, we made the decision to sell our respective houses and move in together on 10 acres in Athol. My mom was instrumental in helping with her grandson and the numerous details that go with having property. She also could look in the pantry or freezer and make incredible meals from what she found there! She worked at Silverwood for a time and loved it, making some great friends there.

I lost my mom, piece by piece, over the last seven years. It was heartbreaking, but I wasn’t prepared for the finality of her death. You are never ready for the death of your mother. Her story is a story of love, strength, dignity and faith. I know I will see her again, but I miss being able to pick up the phone and talk with her or ask her a question. I'm glad you are free from this horrible disease, but I sure miss you, Mom.

She is survived by her daughter, Penney (Jeff), her sisters, Gwen (Daryl) and RuthAnn (Rod), her grandsons, Brandon and Aaron, and numerous nieces and nephews. Her husband, Leo, her parents and her son, Richard, preceded her in death. I’m sure they are all having a wonderful reunion.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 4 at the little rock church building next to North Country Chapel in Post Falls, 2281 W. Seltice Way. Light refreshments will be served after. Bring your best and funniest memories. Mom wanted us all to laugh and not cry for her.

Until we see each other again … I love you.