Sharon Elaine Melniker was born February 11, 1952, to George and Francis (Ferguson) Dusenberry in Bozeman, Montana. She was raised on the family farm, the youngest of three girls. She rode her horse to the Anderson School on Cottonwood Road and graduated from Bozeman High School in 1970. Sharon loved all of the farm animals, showing many in 4H, but her true love was her horses. As a young girl, she tied yarn onto slabs of wood, and this became her first horse herd. A true farmer’s daughter, she was never far from her dad helping with haying and all of the summer and fall chores.
A gifted athlete, she competed in body building, was a softball pitcher and a women’s state champion in racquetball. She worked at MSU for over 40 years where her true calling was in the Intramural and Rec Sports facility. A friend to all of the students, many considered her a role model and a ‘mother away from home’. In the early years she was a one-woman office manager which included supervising the aerobic program as well as teaching classes.
A long-time member of the Bozeman Saddle Club, she was also a participant in the Saddleite Drill team. Along with her buckskin horse “Cliff”, she presented the American Flag for many years at all of the MSU rodeos, CNFR rodeo, Winter Fair and the Homecoming Parade. She started Cliff at the MSU colt class where she was instructed to purchase a Double Diamond halter. As it was not the correct size, she contacted Pete Melniker. This started a relationship that led to marriage in 1995 lasting 31 years.
She passed away in Salt Lake City on July 3, 2026, from medical complications. She will be missed by everyone who knew her as her warmth and caring personality was always obvious. If friendships are the currency of heaven, Sharon was a very, very rich person.
A Celebration of her Life will be held at the Bozeman United Methodist Church 121 South Willson Ave Bozeman, MT 59715 on Wednesday, July 29th at 1 P.M.
Donations can be made in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Wounded Warrior Project.org.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
