SHARI STEADMAN 1962 - 1966? FLIGHT ATTENDANT SLC I had a short (official) career as a stewardess for FAL from November of 1962 to June 1963. After training in DEN I was based in SLC. I flew one month of DC-3 across Wyoming and the rest of the time on the Convair 340 flying SLC-JAC-BIL-FMN-ABQ and back to SLC. After I was married I still went out on trips occasionally with my ex-roommate, Shari Steadman. If the flight was full I sat on the jump-seat in the cockpit then we pretended I was a trainee and I helped Shari serve sandwiches and drinks. Those were the days when you knew nearly everyone on the airline and security was not nearly what it is today. -Dee Curl Martenson in the BIL 2003 Reunion booklet This past week has been a tough one and I have a very sad story to share with you. My former roommate and FAL stew classmate, Sharon Steadman Nicholas died of liver failure in an Ogden hospital this past Thursday, August 13. She was born in Beresford, SD on January 5, 1942. She and I started out in December 1962 in SLC and roomed together until Al and I married. As far as I can figure she flew until sometime in 1965 or 66. I have gone back through my calendars and journals and am missing only 1965 and 66 so I know any reference to her leaving FAL is in them. I would fly to DEN to visit her often until FAL went out. We lost track of each other in the mid 80's and re-connected in the 90's but it was rather hit and miss for a few years as she married a Viet Nam vet she met at the VA hospital in SLC (where she was working at the time). He was suffering in varying degrees over the years from post-tramatic stress syndrome and Sharon lost contact with many of her friends when his business ventures went south and they ended up losing the home she'd owned with her previous husband, Earl Hammond, who died of heart failure. They ended up actually living in their car for a time or in shelters as I later found out. She would call me collect occasionally just to touch base but wouldn't let me help her. A little over a year ago she called out of the blue and said the LDS church had helped them get into an apartment in Layton, she was getting social security benefits now and had a social worker trying to help them out. Her husband was extremely paranoid by this time - off meds and refusing to go back to the VA for help. She and I set up an online correspondence and I don't think a day has gone by until the couple days before her death that I did not get and answer at least one email, sometimes as many as 4 or 5 from her. When she became very ill, her husband at first tried to take care of her himself and when she became almost comatose he finally called the paramedics. To make a long story a little shorter.........she was taken to the hospital in Layton but they knew she needed more care than they could give her and arranged for transfer to Ogden Regional. At this point, her husband lost it and the police became involved and he was taken to the psychiatric ward at the SLC VA hospital and put on suicide watch (where he remains). He called me from there and begged me to try to find out what was happening to her. An elder from the church who had befriended them over the past few months was at the hospital when I called and he and I have been in contact daily since all this started. Sharon was in a coma for less than three days and did not survive. For the past three days I have been on a mission to remember her parents names and find out where they were buried because Sharon told her husband she wanted to be cremated and buried with them. Since they have no money the social worker is trying to get a cremation done by the state or federal government. I have been in contact with the funeral home in Beresford that handled her parents funerals and they have agreed to waive their fees to handle the burial. There will, however, be a cost of $100 burial permit for the country cemetery and $150 to the man who actually digs the grave. I am hoping that I can raise that amount in donations from anyone who remembers Sharon that might have flown with her or known her back in the 60's. She was my special friend, and given how tough her life has been the past 15 years I want to make sure her last request is met. Your email address book is more extensive than mine (although I do have a few of the SLC ones) so I was wondering if you would put out a call for me and ask anyone interested in helping to send me an email at adsanta@bresnan.net I have attached a photo of Sharon (most of us called her Shari) that was taken mid 60's. At this point I am sure there will be no obituary in the paper, probably only a death notice and plans for a small service depend completely on when the VA feels Brent is able to participate. A tentative date of August 24 has been set but that could change at any time. I am hoping to drive down there - do not want to get a plane ticket and then have to change it a couple of times. Feel free to send this entire message out to the FLamily. -Dee Curl Martenson (8/16/09) I'll be glad to help out by forwarding it to the FL Club (700 members). My check for $100 in mail tomorrow. What name did she go by at FL so FLolks will recognize her? -Jake Lamkins (8/16/09) Thank you so much! She was known as Sharon Steadman by the airline but most of us called her Shari. -Dee Curl Martenson (8/16/09) Posted at the FL Club A VERY sad story: Dee Martenson was Dee Curl when she was a FL flight attendant 1962- 63 then she married BIL station agent Al Martenson. She sent the following story about a fellow FL flight attendant Shari Steadman. If Dee gets enough donations, there might be enough money for a headstone too. My check's in the mail tomorrow to DEE MARTENSON 832 KALE DRIVE BILLINGS, MT 59105 -Jake Lamkins (8/16/09) Dee, Look at the article I found in the Jan/Feb 1963 FL Sunliner News. Have you gotten much email about donations? -Jake Lamkins (8/17/09) I have nearly all the old Sunliner issues except that one and really thought after all these years that our class was the only one that didn't have a group photo in the newsletter. I had made a scrapbook of my airline days and may have put the article in it and forgot about it. A young girl in FMN borrowed it for a class project at school after I did a talk about jobs in the sky for her high school class. Before she returned it she moved out of town and it was gone! I had one of every single piece of paperwork we used in our job, even empty hot chocolate packs and the miniature cigarette boxes we gave out. Bag tags, trip reports, bidding schedules - everything! I was just sick when I lost it. I actually have a black & white glossy of the one of me serving Heidi and I know Shari's folks had the one of her on the wing. I don't remember getting a class photo but we probably had one and it was probably in the scrapbook. Thank you so much for sending the article. Maybe you can use it for a story for the newsletter after this is all over. I'll keep you posted on how many responses I get for her burial. So far, I have had 4 emails - 3 from people who never even knew her. What a group! -Dee Curl Martenson (8/17/09) Thanks for the information. I didn't know Shari but through a lot of communication with Dee (who we didn't know either) we feel like we've known Dee forever. She needs to be complimented for the love and compassion she has shown. I appreciate the ability to contribute to such a deserving situation. Without your effort and that of others for the FLamily we would not of been able to. Again our thanks for the opportunity. -Kerry Allen (8/18/09) Just talked to my contact in SLC about Shari's arrangements. The service for Shari is going to be at the chapel in the VA hospital ( in SLC) so her husband can attend. I don't think they are planning a full funeral - more of a viewing and sharing of memories for those present and to give Brent a sense of closure. Since he has not seen her since she went in to the hospital he can only take others word for it that she has actually passed away. Everything hinges on his state of mind when it comes to how everything will go. The chapel and hospital are very busy during the day so it is being planned for 6 or 7 in the evening. At this point it will be on Monday August 24. Al and I are driving down to SLC on Sunday unless the doctors change the date for some reason. Like I said, everything is dependent on Brent's state of mind by the end of this week. She is being embalmed and they are renting a casket so that Brent can actually see her. There is a crematorium that will cremate for free after the service and we'll see that her ashes get to South Dakota for burial as soon as we have permission. A funeral home in Layton will get things ready for the VA and is waiving $4,000 of their cost. They are hoping to get some funds from the church in Layton to help out with what is left and I am working on the burial costs for South Dakota. I have heard from 5 FAL families so far. Interestingly enough, only one of them actually knew Sharon. I am blown away by the generous spirit of our FAL family. -Dee Curl Martenson (8/18/09) What year is the photo from that you sent of Shari? Was it during her FL days? I'm starting work on her memorial webpage. -Jake Lamkins (8/19/09) I think the photo was taken in 1965 or 66. We went to FMN in the spring of 64 and Shari quit flying sometime during those two years we were there. I know she was not flying when we moved to OLF in Oct of 1966. I think she sent me the photo for Christmas after she left FAL. I'll try to gather some more info on Friday when I am off work. Al and I are driving down to SLC on Sunday and the service will be on Monday. I'll keep you posted as to progress. Got your check and another one today. Thank you again for helping. -Dee Curl Martenson (8/19/09) Posted at the FL Club SLC flight attendant Shari Steadman's memorial webpage is posted SHARI STEADMAN 1962 - 1966? FLIGHT ATTENDANT SLC http://FAL-1. tripod.com/ Shari_Steadman. html Post your remembrances of Shari. Hers is a tragic story. -Jake Lamkins (8/19/09) The viewing for Shari (Sharon Steadman Nicholas) is on for 6:00 PM in the chapel at the SLC VA hospital on Monday, August 24. There will not be a formal funeral. Ben and I will say a couple of prayers after whoever is there has a chance to see her and visit a little. At least there will be something done for her and her husband will be able to be there. Al and I are driving down tomorrow and have reservations in Uinta (just below Ogden). I have all the arrangements made with the South Dakota funeral home and will give their information to the one in Utah so Shari can be sent home. We have enough pledges to pay for her burial and I will get an arrangement of flowers for the viewing. Anything extra that comes in I will send to the Utah funeral home to help offset expenses for rental of the casket and preparing her for the viewing. Cremation will take place afterward. I will be sending notes to everyone that has or will be contributing when everything is done. Thank you again for all your help. The webpage for Sharon looks great! I am glad I had that photo for you to use and you found our stew class photo and article in the Sunliner. You do awesome work with the website and newsletter, Jake, and our Flamily is so generous with their support of each other - whether or not they have actually met. -Dee Curl Martenson (8/22/09) Al and I drove down to Layton on Sunday, and Sharon's service was held Monday evening in the chapel at the Salt Lake VA hospital. The only people there were Al and I, two of Brent's nurses, the young man and his wife who have been helping Brent and Sharon the past two months, two LDS Bishops, (from SLC and Layton), one of their wives, two men from the funeral home and Sharon's husband, Brent. It was so sad, Jake. It took us 45 minutes to convice Brent that it was really Sharon's body there. He kept asking me, "Dee, are you sure that is her?" The doctors had him sedated but he was still agitated. He was finally able to read a eulogy he had written, which showed his obvious love for her, as well as his psychosis. The bishops said the opening and closing prayers, I read a scripture and the young man and his wife sang a hymn. We had a photo of her and I in our uniforms (the only photo in their apartment of her) on a table with the flowers. I got an arrangement of flowers from the FLamily out of the donations. I got information from the Layton funeral home for the Beresford funeral home and they will work together to have her cremains sent home for burial. I have sent a check for $250 to South Dakota for the burial cost and will send one to Layton to help with the expenses there. So far we have $435 that has come in from FLamily. I am truly grateful to each and every one of the wonderful people who donated anywhere from $10 to $100 to help bury a former FLamily member. The funeral director in Beresford, SD called me Tuesday when we were driving back north to BIL and said they had found a memorial stone in the cemetery next to Sharon's parent's graves with Sharon's name and birthdate on it so we know she wanted to be there with them. I am going to find out how much it costs to have her date of death engraved on it. Maybe some of the donations can go to that. Anyway, just wanted to give you an update. -Dee Martenson (8/29/09) Thank you, Dee; it's a wonderful thing you've done. -Jake Lamkins (8/29/09) Donors for Sharon's expenses Thought you might like to put a list in the next newsletter of the wonderful FLamily members who sent donations to the Sharon Steadman Nicholas fund. As of today (Sept. 6) we have donations of $485. I sent $250 to the Beresford, SD funeral home for the cemetery permit and earth removal for the burial, and $100 to the Utah funeral home to help with expenses for her service at the VA Hospital. There is a monument next to Sharon's parents' graves with Sharon's name and birthdate on it. The funeral home I called handled her parents funerals and they had bought a stone for her. There were no arrangements made for burial or funeral but it does prove that she did plan to be buried at "home" in Beresford. The $135 left in the fund will go toward engraving her date of death on her monument. I am so humbled and grateful to the following people who made donations and sent me wonderful notes of condolence: Jake Lamkins, Robert Franklin, Kerry Allen, Roger Borchard, Bev Cummisky, Roger Wallace, Linda Casey Hamala, Ann & Gene McCaleb, Loren Holmgren, Charles Trantham, Leslie Taylor, Richard Rohrmann, Curt Sauber & Linda Lamm. Amounts were anywhere from $10 to $100 and there were wonderful notes and emails but one in particular touched me deeply. I will not name the person who wrote this note but wanted to share some of the words with the FLamily: ".......I believe that all Frontier is a family! I was very touched by your note to Jake Lamkins. I am on unemployment but would like to donate to your cause! Will also keep her husband in my prayers........." I am continually uplifted by the generosity and caring spirit of our Frontier family and will remember each and everyone of you in my prayers. -Dee Curl Martenson (9/6/09) Got a check yesterday from Sue Judd Evans for Sharon's memorial fund. Please add her name to your list. Let me know when you are finalizing your next issue and I will give you the final tally on everything. I have emails from 4 more people who said they wanted to donate but do not have their checks yet. If they come through, I'll add them to the list. -Dee Curl Martenson (9/9/09) Got two more donations for Sharon's fund today. Mary Ann Savinsky (Stone) and Joy Potter-Trudeau. Two more people said they were sending donations but I haven't received them yet. We have everything covered that we planned for in South Dakota at this point. Anything else that comes in this week I'll send to SLC and we'll have Sharon at rest. I'll get the final tally to you before the 26th so it can be printed in the next issue of the Frontier Newsletter. Again, thank you for all your help and your generous donation as well. -Dee Curl Martenson (9/12/09) Just received an email from Brian at Wass Funeral Home in Beresford, SD. Here is part of his message to me: "Dee, I wanted to let you know that we buried Sharon's cremated remains yesterday (Sept. 29) on a beautiful and peaceful fall afternoon at St. Peter Cemetery. I want to thank you for all of your help in taking care of these arrangements. You have been a great and faithful friend to her. I have ordered the final date engraving for Sharon's stone." Without the care and support of the FLamily, none of this would have been possible and my heartfelt thanks go out to all of you. -Dee Curl Martenson (9/30/09)