Sharlene Joy Lawrence

Sharlene Joy Classen was born on February 9, 1965, in Meade, Kansas to Menno and Susanna Classen. Growing up, she played the organ at the Country EMB Church where she was also baptized.

In 1981, she moved to Aurora, NE with her family and graduated from the Aurora High School. She enjoyed playing the flute in the high school band and especially liked marching with the band. She then was a Pre Med major at Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS. She went to medical school in Omaha, NE and in 1991, she married Terry Mattson. They moved to Chicago for her residency. After that they moved to Albert City, Iowa and then to Whitehall, MI.

They had 5 children, Hannah, Caleb, Seth, Grace, and Lydia. Terry died in 2006. In 2007, she married Paul Lawrence and they moved to Kingwood, Texas, where she worked as a family physician at Aldine Community Health Center and continued to raise her children. She was able to see seven children graduate from high school, six children graduate from college, and saw three children get married. Her joy and delight was her grandchild, Lois.

She bravely fought cancer for 10 years, but said goodbye to her husband and children on Mother’s day, May 14, 2023 and greeted her Lord.

Preceding her in death was her father, Menno. She said goodbye to her husband, Paul. Also Hannah and Peter, Caleb and Fernanda, Seth and Chloe, Grace and Lydia. She will be missed by her step children, Abigail, Josh; and her mom, Susanna; two sisters and one brother.

Sharlene had a combination of determination and warmth. She was a gift giver through helping others, full of faith and will be greatly missed.

The Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Kingwood First Baptist Church, 3500 Woodland Hills Dr, Kingwood, TX 77339. There will be a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall. Graveside and burial will take place at 1:45 PM in Garden Park Cemetery, 801 Teas Rd, Conroe, TX 77303.