Sharon Mae Findley

Sharon was born in the Independence, Kansas hospital July 31, 1937. She passed away April 12, 2015 at The Villages at Southern Hills in Tulsa.

Spending her young life living and going to primary school in Mound Valley, Kansas, she graduated from high school from Labette County High in Altamont, Kansas. She then spent a year at the University of Kansas in Lawrence studying art. It was there she met her future husband. After college, she lived with her aunt while working in the parts department at TWA. Sharon and David were married in June of 1957. Returning to Lawrence, until her husband's graduation, she worked a short period for Hallmark Cards. The couple returned to Kansas City where he was employed as an industrial accountant and she worked in the office of Simmons Mattress until a transfer sent the pair to Suffolk, Virginia. Another transfer sent them back to the Kansas City office. A few months later the couple moved to Chanute, Kansas spending several more years until they retired to Grand Lake in 1991. David continued to work as an accountant for Home of Hope in Vinita until 2002.

Sharon had beautiful hand writing and enjoyed keeping in touch with relatives and friends she met through school and her travels by letter. She loved working with paint and often kept occupied with interior decorating, particularly wall designs that included portraits of animals and even more of her husband. Flowers were another passion and in mid-life she had a small rose garden in her front yard. She treated all plant and animal life just as most would treat human life She would read to her daughter, Susan all throughout her pregnancy. She thoroughly enjoyed the English language. Sharon started writing stories of her youth and poems which continued for many years once she obtained her first computer. She was always known to provide a great home environment for her family.


Travel, especially the cruise to Alaska and flights to Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, and Florida with her daughter was one of her greatest passions. Other outings included bus trips with her mother back east across several of the New England states. Later years brought driving around the nation with trips through Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Sharon was preceded in death by her parents Dr. E.E. (Doc) Conklin, Velma D. Conklin Farmer, and a younger brother E.E. (Buz) Conklin, Jr. all of Mound Valley, Kansas. She is survived by her husband David M. Findley of Grand Lake and her daughter Susan B. Young of Tulsa. Interment will be June 20 2015 at Mound Valley, Kansas cemetery. Sharon will be greatly missed.