Sharon Gookin

Funeral Mass for Sharon Gookin, 86, of Baker will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 28, 2025 at St. John's Catholic Church in Baker with Father Raj celebrating. The service will be live streamed for those not able to attend.

Visitation for Sharon will be 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Thursday, March 27, 2025 at the Stevenson Funeral Home in Baker with a Rosary and Vigil Service being held at 6:00 p.m..

Private burial will be in Custer County Cemetery in Miles City.

Sharon Rae (Beaudet) Gookin was born January 23, 1939 in Baker, MT. She was the second of three daughters born to Raymond L. and Mildred (Cate) Beaudet. In her early years Sharon and the rest of her Family followed her father’s work around various places before finally settling in the Miles City area where she began attending school at Sacred Heart and eventually graduating with the Class of 1957.

After Graduation, she began working as a Telephone Operator for the Mountain Bell Telephone Company then later as a secretary for the Miles City Mercantile.

Sharon met Marvin H. Gookin a Cowboy from Ismay, MT and the rest is History. On February 27, 1960 she married Marvin and the two began writing their own Love Story. In 1960 Marvin and Sharon moved to Marmarth, ND to start working as Ranch Hands for Bud & Mary Lee Brown on the Brown Ranch. Marvin and Sharon were then blessed with two children, Kim and Jim.

In 1970, Marvin and Sharon made the decision to purchase their own Ranch a few miles South of Baker, MT. While Marvin was running his trucking company, Sharon began working various jobs at the Fallon County Times Newspaper, The Ford Garage, as well as running her own Bookkeeping service for several local businesses such as Verke Refrigeration, KC Welding, K & R Trucking, Straub Heating and Cooling and the Gookin Ranch. When she wasn’t keeping books or chasing her kids, she would help Marvin with anything he needed help with.

Sharon was extremely active in the Community, holding positions with the Catholic Daughters/CCW-President, VCCW- Treasurer, SMART- Board of Directors, Eastern Montana Economic Development Authority-Board of Directors, Eastern Montana Landowners Group- as Secretary Treasurer and was also the Treasurer for the Friends of FMC Foundation. With Agriculture also being an important part of Sharon’s Life, she spent many hours working as a 4-H Leader, FFA Alumni (Secretary Treasurer), Baker Cowbelles, and the Baker Beef Boosters. Even though she was very busy offering her time to the community, she always knew that being a Ranch Wife & Mother was her most important role.

Throughout Sharon’s life, she was a pillar of Faith and very devoted Catholic and did her best to pass these values on to those around her, even in her final days, her Faith never wavered. Sharon also had many other things that brought her joy, including spending time with her family and friends, dancing, traveling, gardening, horseback riding and cooking/baking , Playing cards (including her favorite game, Phase 10), attending Rodeos, and if there was some good Cowboy Poetry anywhere you could find her and Marvin (and sometimes their friends) on the road to attend.

In early 2024 Sharon decided to finally retire to the Ranch to care for Marvin as his health declined and in October of 2024 she lost Marvin to Heart Complications. Shortly after losing Marvin, Sharon was able to do a few things that she enjoyed such as going on walks in the hills on the ranch, spending time with her sisters, helping Kim feed the cattle into the early winter and had made plans to take a couple of trips to Florida and Arizona. And had made plans to go take a Trips to Florida, & Arizona. Unfortunately, in February, Sharon was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer that aggressively took over her once healthy body. After a Valiant 47 day fight Sharon passed away on the First Day of Spring, March 20, 2025.

Sharon is survived by her daughter, Kim Gookin of Baker, MT; son, Jimmy Gene (Melisa) Gookin of Miles City, MT; Grandchildren; Amber Roberts, Dusty (Zach) Elmore, Gus Cumber, Trista (Michael) Peck, Kayla (Chris) Carpenter, Kateel (Landon ) Melchor, 12 Great Grandchildren, Sisters, Shirley Gierke and Mary Bernadine Schieffert both of Miles City and Numerous Nieces and Nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Marvin Gookin; Parents, Raymond & Mildred (Cate) Beaudet; in laws, Samuel and Anna Belle (Johnston) Gookin.

In Lieu of Flowers, memorials may be made to FMC Foundation of Baker, or the Outreach Clinic of Miles City, MT 59301.