Sharon Swanson

Sharon  Anne Gaustad Swanson passed away at Billings Clinic Hospital on February 9, 2025, just one week from her 78th birthday. 

 Sharon was born February 15, 1947 to Salvin ‘Red’ and Cleone Fairborn Gaustad in Absarokee, Montana. The youngest of six, Sharon was often given free range to run wild with her friends and she happily took advantage of it.

 In high school, Sharon worked at the Tee-O-Bar dude ranch outside of Roscoe where she started to fine tune her talents in the kitchen and develop her love of ranch life. 

 While attending college in Bozeman Sharon met the love of her life, Mick Swanson. After a very short courtship they were married and soon moved to Plevna where Mick started his teaching career, and they started their family with the birth of their oldest daughter, Heather Anne. After a couple of years they moved to Opheim where Mick taught VoAg and Sharon worked at the school as the Principal’s Assistant. 

 A few years later, Mick decided it was time to go home to Swanson Ranch and take the reins. Just days after the move, their second daughter, Heidi Sue was born. Three years later they added their son Russell to the family. 

 Sharon spent her time helping out on the ranch: milking the cow, gardening, and feeding her crew. She was active in the church and Sunday School, 4-H and WIFE (women involved in farm economics). She had several neighbors who were close friends and partners in crime. 

Sharon took the kids back to Absarokee for yearly visits to see family and to make sure that they knew that the south bench hills were not mountains. Sharon loved her mountains and needed the yearly recharging of her soul that they brought her.

 In 1988, Sharon tragically lost her husband to a ranching accident. She moved to town with her two school age children and went to work as a janitor at the school. A few years later (1994) she traded in her janitor job for head cook. The students and staff enjoyed her wonderful cooking for several years.

 She later fell in love and went into business with Calton Melby, running his family ranch together. She was once again involved in the life she loved. Calton became part of her family until he was lost to cancer in 2010. 

 She spent lots of time with her grandkids as they were growing up, living just a mile down the road. She would take them on hikes along the creek, let them hit golf balls off of the irrigation ditch behind the house, she loved to take them with her to pitch hay off the back of the pickup when they were feeding and just spoiled them in general. 

 Sharon moved back to her hometown and lived near her older brothers and sister Sybil until a stroke and dementia caused by a spinal fluid leak forced her to move back to Hinsdale where she could be close to her family. She enjoyed reading and walks and was well looked after by the whole community. She still visited her hometown as often as possible and was always happy to see her childhood friends who she loved dearly. 

 In July, Sharon was hospitalized and upon release moved into Valley View Nursing Home where she received excellent care and many visits from her family and friends. 

 Sharon is preceded in death by her husband Mick, son Russell, daughter Heather, her parents Salvin (Red) and Cleone Gaustad, step-father Andy Anderson, brothers Cebrun, Karl, and Pete Guastad, sister Sybil Srigley, and life partner Calton Melby. 

 She is survived by her dear sister Mary Jeffrey, daughter Heidi (Mark) Johnson, son-in-law Gus Sinclair, grandchildren: Brady (Leisa) Johnson, Boyd (Courtnee) Sinclair, Lukas Johnson, Mickayla (Bailey) soon to be Christoffersen, Trey Johnson, and great-grandchildren: Breilynn and Zach Sinclair, Jamie and Liam Johnson as well as many nieces, nephews, family, and friends. 

 Funeral services are planned for Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 11:00 at the Hinsdale Lutheran Church, with burial to follow in Hillview Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at the Hinsdale American Legion. Condolences may be left online for the family at bellmortuarymontana.com.