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StaffLife Story Funeral Director
sharonbetzler@lifestorynet.com
Sharon Betzler has always been ready to participate in life. As a student at Bronson High School, she always made time for everything. Her weekdays were spent being involved with school activities, like track, while her weekends centered more around family. From her mother, Sharon learned to bake and sew, and her father taught her to enjoy the outdoors by hunting and fishing. After high school, Sharon went to Michigan State University, where she earned two insurance licenses. She then moved to Coldwater, where she raised her two children, Cristi and Eric.
It was while working as a Property & Casualty insurance agent in Coldwater that Sharon realized the value of planning ahead. When the opportunity arose, Sharon decided to create a position at her local funeral home that would serve to educate people on the benefits and options associated with preplanning their end of life services. In 1996, Sharon moved to Kalamazoo to fill this same type of position with Betzler Funeral Homes. Sharon knew the Betzler family and felt privileged to work for such a respected firm.
The position Sharon had taken at Betzler had formerly belonged to Bruce Betzler, who was then leaving to attend mortuary school. As Bruce began working on his degree, he and Sharon began dating. In 1998, they decided to get married. Sharon truly enjoys being able to work with her husband and extended family. "Together," she says, "we make a great team."
When working with grieving families, Sharon's main objective is to provide information, answer questions, and, most importantly, alleviate fear. She puts them at ease by explaining, with compassion, all the things that will come to pass as they experience the funeral and related services. Having made prearrangements for her own parents, Sharon understands that this is an emotionally difficult process for families to go through. She has also experienced the loss of her sister-in-law, which served to educate her on the contradiction between a funeral plan and an actual funeral. All of these events have allowed Sharon to approach her job from a completely new position and today, she is able to better fulfill the needs of the families she serves.
Outside of work, Sharon and her husband Bruce love spending time together downhill skiing and golfing. Sharon practices yoga and likes to spend time surrounded by nature. She is also very active in the Kalamazoo community, serving as a member (and former president) of the Kalamazoo AMBUCS (American Business Clubs). Spending time with her granddaughter, Clare, is another of Sharon's top priorities. Whether she is at the funeral home, in the community, or with family, her commitment to making a positive impact on the world is clear.
It was while working as a Property & Casualty insurance agent in Coldwater that Sharon realized the value of planning ahead. When the opportunity arose, Sharon decided to create a position at her local funeral home that would serve to educate people on the benefits and options associated with preplanning their end of life services. In 1996, Sharon moved to Kalamazoo to fill this same type of position with Betzler Funeral Homes. Sharon knew the Betzler family and felt privileged to work for such a respected firm.
The position Sharon had taken at Betzler had formerly belonged to Bruce Betzler, who was then leaving to attend mortuary school. As Bruce began working on his degree, he and Sharon began dating. In 1998, they decided to get married. Sharon truly enjoys being able to work with her husband and extended family. "Together," she says, "we make a great team."
When working with grieving families, Sharon's main objective is to provide information, answer questions, and, most importantly, alleviate fear. She puts them at ease by explaining, with compassion, all the things that will come to pass as they experience the funeral and related services. Having made prearrangements for her own parents, Sharon understands that this is an emotionally difficult process for families to go through. She has also experienced the loss of her sister-in-law, which served to educate her on the contradiction between a funeral plan and an actual funeral. All of these events have allowed Sharon to approach her job from a completely new position and today, she is able to better fulfill the needs of the families she serves.
Outside of work, Sharon and her husband Bruce love spending time together downhill skiing and golfing. Sharon practices yoga and likes to spend time surrounded by nature. She is also very active in the Kalamazoo community, serving as a member (and former president) of the Kalamazoo AMBUCS (American Business Clubs). Spending time with her granddaughter, Clare, is another of Sharon's top priorities. Whether she is at the funeral home, in the community, or with family, her commitment to making a positive impact on the world is clear.
