Sharon Lamb

Sharon (Gibson) Lamb, age 78 of Des Moines, IA passed away Tuesday, October 5, 2020 at Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines of a heart attack.

Sharon was born on September 8, 1942 to Alfred “Bud” and Lucille “Lucy” (Burnett) Gibson in Mitchell, SD. She was joined by her sister Shirley in 1949. Shortly after, in 1951, the family moved to Rapid City where her dad opened his first barber shop and her mother was a teacher.

A pivotal moment in Sharon’s life was when she contracted rheumatic fever as a child. The heart damage that it caused would forever be in the background of her life. Despite that, she never let it keep her from doing what she wanted to do.

Sharon graduated from Rapid City High School in 1960. She attended the University of Northern Colorado for two years before marrying Odean “Dean” Jukam in August of 1962. Dean and Sharon lived in Hartford Connecticut and LaCrosse Wisconsin before settling in Des Moines Iowa in 1964.

In Feb of 1965, Sharon and Dean celebrated the birth of their daughter, Kimberly. They were blessed by the birth of their second daughter, Johanna in August of 1966. Sharon was a stay at home mom, Des Moines Art Center volunteer, and a petite model on the Mary Brubaker Show when her daughters were young. Her children will forever cherish their mom’s passion for teaching them about the arts, history and music. Time spent dancing around the house to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, art lessons, abundant books, and numerous trips to the Science Center and the Des Moines Art Museum taught her daughters the love of learning and curiosity of life.

In 1973, Dean and Sharon divorced and she returned to school to complete her college degree. Despite being a single mom of two young girls, Sharon graduated from Iowa State with honors and was a member of the Pi Beta Phi Kappa Honor society. Sharon had a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology with Minors in Journalism and Math.

Following graduation, Sharon began working for Polk County Juvenile Court as a Juvenile Probation Officer. During her 33 years there, she wore many hats including intake specialist. Sharon was very dedicated to her career and was proud to have helped countless children and families. For Sharon, what she did for a living wasn’t just what she did, it was who she was.

There isn’t enough space for us to write about the many varied interests Sharon had. She was a Master Gardener, an anthropologist, lover of English history, Civic Center Volunteer, lover of art and music, an international traveler, ukulele player, ancestry researcher, social justice warrior, environmentalist, fierce Democrat and political volunteer, student of philosophy, a loyal dog mom to Miss Emily, and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Above all, she was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother, and sister. Her passion for life was unmatched and she was often referred to as a force of nature. She was someone who always sought new experiences and dedicated herself to lifelong learning.

Grateful to have shared her life are her children, Kimberly Weaver-Fritzsche (Greg) of Boone, IA and Johanna Bowden (Justin) of Shawnee, KS; grandchildren, K.C., Corbin (Andrew), and Grant Weaver, Jesse Dean and Jack Bowden; sister, Shirley Anderson (Tom); nephew, Chad Biesman (David); niece, Kara Gray (Steve); and great-niece and nephew, Sutton and Logan Gray.

Services for Sharon will be provided by Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, IA. Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 17th from 12-2 pm with a celebration of Sharon’s life to follow immediately after visitation.

While your presence would be greatly appreciated, Sharon, would truly understand if friends or relatives didn’t feel they could attend in person. The service will be taped and placed on Hamilton’s website within a few days.

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