Sharon Ann Johnson Grace, a longtime school employee and librarian in Clancy, died May 30.
Sharon was born in Helena on Sept. 28, 1942, to Ernest Norman Johnson and Helen Marie Mansfield. She attended Clancy Elementary School and Jefferson County High School and graduated from Helena’s Cathedral High School in 1960.
In 1964 Sharon wed Ben L. Grace II who had been on his way to Alaska but never made it — and their marriage lasted 41 years! She worked for the Lewis and Clark District Court from 1964 to 1974, after which went to work for the Clancy Elementary School, a job she dearly loved and retired from in 2005 after 31 years. After Ben passed away in October, 2005 Sharon went to work for the North Jefferson County Library, retiring in 2024 due to ill health.
She leaves behind her cherished sons Tim (Trish) Grace and Ben L. Grace IV (Toby DeWolf), both in Helena; grandchildren Heather Nelson (Brian) of Clancy, Jessi Berryman (Nick) of Helena, and Carrie Lynn Puente (John) of Nampa, ID; and great grandchildren Kody Nelson, Lucas Berryman, Steel Drysdale Puente, Josh Puente, Mille Grace Puente and James Puente. She also leaves her best friends, Mary Ann Bannon and Fran Brown, who have been like sisters to her; and Chris Borgmann, of Nashville, TN, whom she was very close to.
Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest and Helen Johnson; a son, Ben L. Grace III; special aunt and uncle Kate and Clarence Standford; and special friends Rich Borgmann and Dawn Ruf.
Memorials in Sharon’s name can be sent to Clancy Methodist Church or Lewis Clark Humane Society in Helena, where she adopted her pets who were very special to her, or to North Jefferson County Library, Clancy.
Sharon wants to remind everyone to be kind to one another and the world will be a much better place.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, June 5, at 11:00 a.m. at the Clancy United Methodist Church, 6 N. Main St. in Clancy. Please visit www.bigskycremations.com to leave a condolence to the family or to share a favorite memory.
