Sharon Overstreet

Sharon Lee (Ledbetter) Overstreet, 82, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on July 21, 2018 at Schowalter Villa in Hesston.

She was born January 16, 1936 at Wichita Hospital in Wichita, Kansas. She was the only daughter of Eldora and Ernst Ledbetter who called her their "little norwegian" as Eldora's parents immigrated from Norway.

In her early teen years, her aunt invited Sharon to church where she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Saviour in Sunday School. A few months later she became an assistant with the Sunday School and subsequently took over the teaching when the teacher passed away the following year. Since the late 1970s she was a member of Meridian Baptist Church of Newton, KS, where she was the church secretary. For most of her adult years, until her health made it impossible, she was actively ministering in her community: in the church choir, teaching Sunday School, working in AWANA, hosting fellowships at home (she loved to cook and had an extensive collection of recipe books), and ministering in various ladies groups. She was also involved with her children’s participation in 4-H clubs and a community ladies’ group, Extension Homemakers’ Units (EHU), now called the Kansas Association for Family and Consumer Education (KAFCE).

Sharon’s schooling took place in Wichita where she graduated from North High School in 1954 and attended Friends University there. For one of her first jobs she worked for Dr. Mary Blood, the first female pediatrician in Wichita. She worked most of her life as a medical assistant and was active in the Medical Assistants association of Wichita. Her final employment, ended by the back injury which led to medical disability for the rest of her days, was as the office manager of Harvey County Home Health and Hospice.

While working for Dr. Blood, she met a nurse, Ethel Reed, who would become her aunt-in-law. Ethel introduced her by mail to her nephew, Army Specialist James Overstreet, stationed near Nuremberg, West Germany. After the initial correspondence and courtship, they were engaged and together purchased an engagement ring in Baltimore, MD. They were married on May 5th, 1963.

She is survived by her husband James Gene Overstreet of the home; daughter, Laura (Mike) Curtis of Newton, KS; son, Mark (Jill) Overstreet of Greenville, SC; grandchildren, Courtney, Cody, Ashton, Addison, Micaiah, Sarah, Esther, Daniel, and Jonathan; a great grandchild, Cayden; and many cousins, family, and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Wednesday (July 25, 2018) at the Meridian Baptist Church. Interment will be in the Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.

The casket will be open at the funeral home Tuesday between 1:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M.

A memorial has been established with the Meridian Baptist Church Missions Project. Contributions may be sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, Ks. 67114.

Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, Newton.