Sharon Yvonne Certalic

Sharon Yvonne Certalic, age 80, after many health complications, died at 11:14 a.m. on Friday January 31, 2025, hand in hand with her son Tom at Autumn Springs Assisted Living in Billings, Montana. 

Sharon was born to Edwin and Ann Haagensen on February 23, 1944, in Minneapolis, MN, the 3rd of five children. Sharon grew up in northeast Minneapolis, a neighborhood rich in ethnic diversity. From a very young age she enjoyed many artistic endeavors, from singing in the Holy Rosary Catholic Church choir to learning ballroom dancing from her parents who danced competitively in several city hotspots.

As a teen in the late 50's Sharon would go out with her friends in her satin “Drifters” jacket and hang out on Central Avenue, the popular cruise destination in the twin cities. She shared many amazing stories of those times and even told of some famous musicians she met there. Sharon also greatly enjoyed their family cabin at “Long Lake” near Aitkin, Minnesota where she shared many wonderful family memories.

Sharon, brave and adventurous, left her Minneapolis roots to go out west on her own, and there she met and married Tom Findley of Deadwood, South Dakota. In September of 1965, she gave birth to her only child. However, just three years later, Sharon and Tom Sr. got divorced and although she absolutely loved the vibrant western culture of Deadwood, she took her son and moved further west to Montana, determined to make a better life for them both.

Sharon eventually moved to Three Forks, Montana and it was there that she met the love of her life, John Henry Certalic, a cowboy and ranch hand at Kyd Cattle Ranch. Then in 1972 they were married in Bozeman, Montana and eventually settled in Belgrade, where they remained throughout their lives together.

Sharon had found the happy family life she was seeking and worked as a waitress at the Lounge Café for many years. In her free time she enjoyed listening and dancing to stacks of her favorite 45 records or spending time with family outdoors, often by the rivers and mountains that graced her time there.

Sharon's passion for art flourished at this time, when she took up oil painting and eventually took 1st place in the Bozeman winter fair. She achieved this with a pallet knife pinting that was featured on the front page of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle newspaper. Sharon also loved to write stories, poetry and music, eventually seeing one of her favorite poems she wrote “Would You, For ME?” get published. She had a deep connection to folk music and often shared her musical ideas with us all, and even occasionally with the likes of Kostas and even Joan Baez.

Sharon loved spending time with her family, from raising quarter horses with John to sharing Ton's passion for playing the trumpet, and ultimately, the joy of discovering that she was going to be a grandmother first to Faith and later Aidan. She adored them both and beamed with pride when she spoke of them. She had many close friends throughout her life and maintained those friendships across many miles and years. Along with her fun loving spirit, Sharon's sincere kindness and genuine care for others will live on within all of us.

Sharon is preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Ann Arvilla Haagensen (Handzel), Her sister Arlene Deegan (Haagensen), brother Kenneth Haagensen, and most recently by her husband of 49 years, John Henry Certalic. Sharon is survived by her son Ton (Michelle), grandchildren Faith and Aidan Certalic, brothers Dave (Linda) and Russell (Cease) Haagensen as well as many wonderful brother and sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces both in Minnesota and Montana, that all shared in her life story.

A Memorial Service will be held at 12 pm on Monday September 22, 2025 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Belgrade. The Rite of Committal will follow at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman.