Sharyn L. Ostrem, 62, of Wakonda, SD, passed away on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at M Health Fairview St. John's Hospital in Maplewood, Minnesota. Memorial services will be 2:00PM Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 at Calvary Lutheran Church, 225 E Main St, Irene, SD 57037. Click here to watch the service live on Facebook.

Sharyn Lea Whipple was born May 23, 1964, to Donald and Carol (Dibbert) Whipple in Osmond, Nebraska. She grew up in Stanton, Nebraska, alongside her two younger sisters, Denise and LaDonna. Sharyn was baptized at Golgatha Lutheran Church in rural Wausa, Nebraska, and later confirmed at Faith Lutheran Church in Stanton. She graduated from Stanton High School with the class of 1982.

Sharyn attended Wayne State College, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Education, a double major in instrumental and vocal music with a minor in strings. She later attended the University of South Dakota, earning her Master’s Degree in vocal performance.

Sharyn put her education and love of music to wonderful use throughout her life. She was a talented bass player and performed with the Sioux City Symphony for 36 years. She also shared her passion for music by teaching instrumental and/or vocal music at Hartington Public School in Nebraska, Centerville Public School in South Dakota, Sioux City Public Schools, Sioux Falls Christian High School, Wakonda Public School, and as an adjunct professor of strings at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.

Her compassion for others led her down another meaningful path as well. Sharyn attended Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota, where she became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and worked in various healthcare facilities.

Alongside her many educational and professional pursuits, Sharyn devoted herself to raising her family. She married Mark Ostrem on October 6, 1990, at Faith Lutheran Church in Stanton, Nebraska. Together, their lives were blessed with two children, Lindsay and Brittan.

If Sharyn’s life wasn’t already full enough, she enjoyed countless hobbies and talents, many of which she taught herself. She loved painting, crocheting, soap-making, writing haikus, music, and playing instruments of all kinds. She was a member of the Turkey Creek Revival Band for 10 years, where she sang and played upright bass. Sharyn also recorded her own CD, Faith Step, which featured music she wrote and performed herself.

In her free time, Sharyn enjoyed researching family history, challenging herself to learn new things, and cheering on the Cornhuskers—“Go Big Red!” She traveled to many places throughout her life, but one of her favorite places to be was close to home in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Above all of her pursuits, Sharyn was known for her strong faith and her desire to use her gifts and passions to celebrate and share her belief in the Lord. No one was a stranger in her eyes, and she was never afraid to share her love of Jesus with those she encountered. She especially cherished the opportunity to share her love of music and her faith with her grandchildren, creating precious memories that will be treasured for generations.

On September 3, 2026, Sharyn was called home to the arms of Jesus.

Sharyn is survived by her husband, Mark; her children, Lindsay (Stephen) Rogers of Irene, SD, and Brittan (Leah) Ostrem of Centerville, SD; her grandchildren, Jaylen, Jordyn, Jackson, Aiden, and Westen Rogers, and Lydia and Baron Ostrem; her parents, Donald & Carol Whipple of Norfolk, NE; her sisters, Denise (Gale) Bender of Norfolk, NE, LaDonna (Brian) Schulz of Pierce, NE; mother-in-law, Marie Ostrem of Centerville SD; sisters-in-law, Julie (Gary) Peterson of Beresford, SD, Bonnie (Clark) Van Den Berg of Ireton, IA and Angela (Ian) Nichols of Sioux Falls, SD; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Dorothy Whipple and Herman and Hilda Dibbert; her father-in-law, Arnie Ostrem; her grandson, Bentley Rogers; and her nephew, Jace Van Den Berg.

Sharyn will be remembered for her incredible passion for music, her deep love and adoration for her family, her many talents, her generous spirit, and, above all, her unwavering love for the Lord. Her life was a beautiful reflection of the gifts God gave her, and her memory will live on in all those who were blessed to know and love her.