Sharlene Huggins Nielsen July 11, 1934 - September 23, 2022

Sharlene Huggins Nielsen, age 88 of Ceres, passed away at St. Frances Assisted Living in Turlock on Friday, September 23 just in time for her first sunrise in Heaven. Sharlene was born on July 11, 1934 to A.B. Huggins and Ruth Elizabeth Crain Huggins in Prague, Oklahoma. She moved to Ceres, Ca in 1952 and was a well known real estate agent at Foster & Jones.
Sharlene met her best friend and married Gale E. Nielsen in 1953. Together, they raised their blended family of four daughters. She gave her children strong core values through her many stories, experiences and adventures. She loved her Native American culture and served the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma with pride, respect and passion. She returned to Oklahoma in 2004 to the place where the drums of the pow wow spoke to her soul. There in Grove, Oklahoma, she served as a volunteer companion for Good Shepherd Hospice where she could be heard playing her guitar, singing and laughing with patients that had become like family. Sharlene never met a stranger.
Sharlene left an extraordinary impact on the lives that she met. She lived with joy and vibrance, always leaving people better than she found them. God gave her the gift of laughter. She was also a pillar of strength, intellect and inner beauty to her daughters and granddaughters. She was a talented musician and the cassette copies of her singing the “Chocolate Ice Cream” song was adored by her grandchildren.
Sharlene is survived by four daughters, Kara Conkle, Judy Hamilton, Deana Gipson, and Gayla Wilson, 9 grandchildren Tammie Cummins, Brenda Marino, Keith Owens, Lori Lopez, Shona Adams, Rocky Gouker, Nikona Jones, Gina Threet, and Gaylyn Barker, 26 great grandchildren, 18 great-great grandchildren, 2 great-great-great grandchildren, 2 brothers John Huggins and David Huggins, and 3 sisters Wanda Pengelly, Sharon Love, and Ranelle Huggins. She is preceded in death by her parents and husband Gale E. Nielsen, grandson Ryan Wilson, 3 brothers Harold Huggins, Van Huggins, and Jimmie Huggins, and 1 sister Alice Agan.
Visitation will be on Friday, September 30, 2022 at Allen Mortuary from 4pm-6pm with the graveside funeral service on Saturday, October 1st to begin at 11am at Ceres Memorial Cemetery. An open celebration to honor her legacy and share stories and memories of Sharlene will be at the Fruit Yard restaurant in Modesto, Ca in the Patio Banquet Area from 1pm-4pm. Parking may be limited so please attempt to carpool.