Sharon Kay Uhland

1956 - 2020

Sharon Kay Uhland, age 63, of Cheyenne Wells, passed away peacefully at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, on Saturday, June 20, 2020, after a long hard battle with cancer.

Sharon was born on July 23, 1956, in Duncan, Okla. to Lowell and Wanda Jean Shanks - she was the second of five children.

Sharon's motherly instincts kicked in at a young age as she took on the role of helping take care of her younger siblings - she loved spending time with them.

Sharon attended Kingfisher High School in Oklahoma. There she played basketball, track and was a member of the band and graduated in 1975. After high school, she worked at a pharmacy in Kingfisher.

After years of dating, Sharon married her high school sweetheart Bobby Simpson on Dec. 29, 1976, and to this union came their son, Kevin, in July of 1977. They later divorced in 1978.

In 1979, Sharon and Kevin moved to Cheyenne Wells, to be where Sharon's mom lived. There she worked at the Eastern Colorado Bank.

Not long after being in Cheyenne Wells, she met Jerry Uhland and they were married on Dec. 15, 1979. To this union, Ryan was born in June of 1984.

For many years, Sharon and Jerry owned and operated their business S & J Oilfield.

Sharon's sister Teresa later moved to Cheyenne Wells and together they opened a bar and grill, Sharesa's. They spent numerous years working the restaurant together and shared many fond memories.

After closing the restaurant, Sharon went to work for the Kit Carson State Bank and worked there until her illness in 2010. Sharon enjoyed being in banking and cherished the bond she made with many of her coworkers.

Sharon was an avid Oklahoma Sooners fan. Often, she would schedule doing things around making sure she didn't miss out on watching the games. She loved watching them so much that she would record the games and watch them over and over again.

Sharon had a love for animals. She used to nurse sick animals or the runts by feeding them with tiny bottles or medicine tubes. Her dog Bella was a huge part of her last years.

Sharon loved going shopping and trying on clothes. She enjoyed going bowling and she and her sister Teresa were on a bowling team for three years. One of her favorite things was going gambling in Cripple Creek.

She loved listening to music and had one of her dreams come true when she was able to attend a concert of one of her favorite singers, John Fogerty, in the summer of 2019 with her sister Teresa and brother-in-law Glen.

Raising two boys definitely tested Sharon's patience. Growing up those boys sure knew how to keep her on her toes, but she took pride in knowing the men they grew up to be and was very proud of them.

Sharon always wished she could have had a girl. Boy, was she blessed when her sons gave her six granddaughters!

Sharon took "spoiling" to the next level when it came to those girls. She would save all year long just to give the girls the best Christmas presents. She would show up with a carload of gifts and you could always see the twinkling in her eyes as she watched the girls open them.

Even though she was so sick most of the time, she made sure she didn't miss out on getting them something for their birthdays and holidays and making each and every one of those girls feel loved.

She treasured going to Christmas programs, swim meets or any other events the girls were involved in. They were her pride and joy and she always would say, "I have six beautiful granddaughters to live for, so I have to get better."

We truly believe this was the fire which fed her fight and she did everything in her power to be the grandma they would never forget!

Sharon may have lost the battle, but she sure showed us her willingness to survive and overcame so many obstacles along the way.

She leaves to cherish her memory two sons, Kevin (Kristin) Simpson of Burlington and Ryan (Kara) Uhland of Cheyenne Wells; six granddaughters: Reagan, Briar and Brooklyn Simpson and Emeri, Averi and Paisli Uhland.

She is also survived by her brothers and sister: Lonnie (Betty) Shanks of Shawnee, Okla., Teresa (Glen) Bradshaw of Colorado Springs, Steve (Tonja) Shanks of Glencoe, Okla. and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Sharon is preceded in death by her parents, Lowell Shanks and Wanda Jean Freeman and her sister Vicki Shanks.

Funeral services for Sharon Uhland were held on Thursday, June 25, 2020, at the Cheyenne Wells High School.

Burial followed in Fairview Cemetery in Cheyenne Wells.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Sharon Uhland Memorial Fund, c/o Eastern Colorado Bank; Box 888; Cheyenne Wells, CO 80810.

Friends and family can register online condolences and sigh the guestbook at www.brownfuneraldirectors.com.

Visitation and funeral services were entrusted to the care of the Brown Funeral Home in Cheyenne Wells.