Meet Sharry

On the tenth of this month our cherished church secretary, SHARRY KENNEDY, will be celebrating another birthday, and we want to begin this article by wishing her a wonderful day!

Sharry was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota and has lived in this state all of her life. She grew up on a farm with her parents and two brothers. She likes the wide open spaces and the slower pace of rural living. Here, “neighbors helping neighbors” is still in vogue. The farm afforded an ideal setting for learning a good work ethic and good moral character. She learned to appreciate what she had, and not to expect to get anything for nothing. She did her part and found it very rewarding to finally get something she’d worked very hard for. She learned to appreciate things so much more than had it just been handed to her. Sharry’s parents worked hard on the farm, and had such a good feeling of accomplishment at the end of a long day’s work. Harvest time of the year was her favorite season, when they would reap what they had sown. There is a good comparison between farming and spiritual sowing and reaping. 

These days Sharry still works a lot. She does enjoy some leisure time walking, crocheting, and playing the piano.

Both of her parents are deceased now. I have pleasant memories of her mother’s gorgeous African violets. (Sharry has a ‘green thumb’ as well.) Her parents were friends of my in-laws, so you could say that we go back a long way together.

Sharry and her husband Sam live on the south edge of Turtle River State Park near Arvilla, ND, just a short distance from where she grew up. Her daughter and her husband and two sons live ‘next door’ to her, which is a great blessing to this grandma. Sam came to this area via the USAF. He and Sharry met at our church where they got to know each other, and the Lord showed them that they could serve Him together as a married couple. She thanks God for His graciousness in bringing a spiritual spouse into her life. Sam is retired and now works as a civilian on our air base nearby. They have five sons, one daughter, and eleven grandchildren scattered in the states of North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. They just love every chance they get to spend time with their children and grandchildren!

Sharry has worked in a local pharmacy and gift store, served as her township’s assessor, and prepared tax returns for others. When we began our church, several of the men and a few of the women drove a newspaper route nightly in order to raise money for our building fund. With her sacrificing spirit, Sharry drove hundreds of miles for that cause. She has held secretarial positions at several locations in our area, including a farm loan company in Grand Forks, and was at one time the secretary at Bible Baptist Church in East Grand Forks , MN when Pastor Silcox was pastor there. After our church started in Larimore in 1980, Sharry began to do secretarial work for our church. She continues to be a full time secretary to our pastor. It would be impossible to calculate how many words she’s typed, how many phone calls she’s answered and made, how many papers she’s prepared, and how many ways she has helped our church and Pastor throughout these years. She is the picture of faithfulness and an example for all! Thank you, Sharry Kennedy!

Sharry was saved in 1972. She and I first met then at Bible Baptist Church. For some time, we played the piano and organ in church together, she on the organ and myself on the piano. Our families, along with several others, were part of the establishing of our church here in 1980. She continues to be our church organist today. Her faithfulness to God and appreciation of His faithfulness to her, is evident in all that she says and does. It is obvious that she considers it a privilege to serve her Lord.

She is a woman who loves the Lord and serves Him with all of her heart. She intends, with God’s help, to always remain faithful to the Lord, and to serve in His church as long as He allows. She strives to be an edifier, and to help in whatever area she is needed. She has admiringly observed Mrs. Shaffer as she tirelessly and selflessly gives the Lord all that she has. Sharry is much like Mrs. Shaffer in that way too. She finds her true happiness and contentment in pleasing Him.

Over the years Sharry has come to highly treasure her Bible. James 1:2-4-- “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”-- was a special comfort to her when she went through a deep trial years ago. She was encouraged at that time to keep going for the Lord, knowing that He was helping her grow in her Christian faith.

Galatians 2:20—“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”—has become the theme of her life, as she lives for God, not for herself.

III John 4—“ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.”—Her heartbeat is for all of her children to be saved and walking in God’s truth. What a blessing that would be!

And what a blessing and testimony of faithfulness to the Lord you are to us, Sharry! Thank you for being an inspiration and blessing to all of us!