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Born Sharon Woerly in Macomb, IL on March 17, 1951

Graduated from Macomb High School in 1969

Carl Sandburg Junior College in Galesburg, IL - graduated with an Associate Degree in Accounting in 1974

Married to her husband Ken and became Sharon Gosses on July 20, 1974 in Chicago, IL

Accounting Jobs

Department of Public Health in Springfield, IL

Working for the State as an Account Clerk

Daughter, Christina born on October 11, 1978

Son, Jimmy born on June 30, 1981

Moved to Tucson, AZ in 1981

Moved into current house in 1983

Became a stay at home mother and helped at her children's schools with the PTA

In the hospital during COVID in 2020

Got pneumonia

In the hospital in June of 2024

Having trouble swallowing and had kidney stones - received surgery and a feeding tube

In hospital in January of 2025

Repeated issues with feeding tube

Throughout her life and more so in recent years she has pursued her hobbies of crafting, crocheting, and sewing

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4 Years Old Wearing Nurse Outfits Her Grandmother Made Standing Next to Her Two Sisters 

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4 Years Old Wearing Nurse Outfits Her Grandmother Made Standing Next to Her Two Sisters 

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(Sharon on the far right)

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(Sharon on far left with twin sister next to her)

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(Sharon top row, 2nd to the right)

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(Sharon on left)

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(Sharon on the right)

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(Sharon top row, 2nd from the left)

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(Sharon on far right)

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(Sharon on top row, far right)

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(Sharon on far right)

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(Sharon in the very center)

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Her brother-in-law started working for a car company and agreed to help her get her car detailed. Unfortunately the detailing girl who was meant to finish her car had just been told she had been fired. As a result, she angrily sprayed water all over the inside of Sharon's car. Because of this during the winter she had to scrape ice out from the inside of her car constantly.

During her last days working in Chicago before going back to Springfield, she was the only white woman on the bus she took in her area. On the way back, an African American male began hitting her with his gloves. He was telling her to get off the bus, he was told off by another passenger on the bus.

In her childhood, her grandmother lived close to her house. They would play Canasta, her grandmother would sew clothes for her, and they would make popcorn balls.

Sharon and Ken had a small studio apartment while living in Chicago. One night she woke up and turned on the light, and the wall was full of crock roaches.  The people that were from India that lived close in the building did not believe in killing them. In these peoples apartments, they discovered that in their closets they kept full garbage bags in there that attracted the roaches. Finally they sprayed the place and told everyone to throw out trash. They had to spray twice because it was so bad. While living in this same apartment, they had to spend a Thanksgiving there in 1974. It was so cold in Chicago, and the place they lived in had a wall of windows. The wind blew so hard that they had to put blankets covering the windows which helped some but made it very dark in the apartment. They had to use an electric blanket and turned on the oven leaving the oven door open. It was apparently one of the coldest and snowy winters in history.

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"I would say be good to your parents when you're in college. Still call them and have respect for them because they take care of you. Some kids don't come home" (Gosses, 2025).

"One thing to learn as a parent, give kids space and not make them feel guilty about coming home" (Gosses, 2025).

"Always respect other people, and help other people without expecting something in return. Do not hurt others feelings just to make you feel good" (Gosses, 2025).

"Stay in school" (Gosses, 2025).

"Be truthful, do not do bad things" (Gosses, 2025).

"If you do a job, do it right, don't do something half cockeyed" (Gosses, 2025).

"Be a hard worker, if you're a hard worker you get ahead. Always go around and help people" (Gosses, 2025).

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"Society in general is more youth oriented. Other societies like Japan honor the older people much more. For example, oftentimes they are brought into the family and live there. In our country they are in nursing homes" (Gosses, 2025).

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"Years ago kids would go out to play and their parents would not have to worry about their safety. Now they do. Kids nowadays spend all their time on computers. Olden days kids would play board games with their parents. Around the dinner table they would talk to each other while today they are too busy on their phones" (Gosses, 2025).

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Sharon mentioned remembering hearing news of Sputnik in middle school. Her class went outside and thought they saw it but did not. During this time she also noted that she and her siblings drove to Washington in a Volkswagen with their granny. They went to see their aunt at the Washington monument, recalling there were so many steps to go up and down.

https://www.nasa.gov/history/sputnik/index.html

Sharon also spoke about the John F. Kennedy assassination in 1963. She was in junior high, her class had heard over the intercom, everyone was crying and sent home.

https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/november-22-1963-death-of-the-president

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Song Sung Blue by Neil diamond - Sharon was at a Springfield, IL state fair. It was her first time meeting Ken's sister, Lara.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSy9dt5FeS0

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas by Bing Cosby- This song made Sharon cry every year because she lived in Tucson and missed her family in Illinois.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOrwX11CbsY

Songs she likes because of the beat/lyrics wit no particular memory attached:

Are You Lonesome Tonight by Elvis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XVdtX7uSnk

Hey Jude by The Beatles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_MjCqQoLLA

Sugar Sugar by The Archies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7T4aQMxTTM

She Loves You by The Beatles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGbWU8S3vzs

Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=425GpjTSlS4

I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXWHpbpNdHE

Baby Love by the Supremes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_y6nFjoVp4

Let It Be by The Beatles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4

My Sweet Lord by George Harrison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04v-SdKeEpE

YMCA by The Village People

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k