Sharon K. Schmidt, 81, of Fairbury, joined her husband in Heaven, April 12, 2022 at her home in Fairbury, Nebraska.  Sharon was born September 12, 1940 in Sutton, NE to Walter & Annetta (Ackermann) Trautman.   She grew up and attended school in Sutton and enjoyed playing clarinet in band and was a twirler.  She graduated in the Class of 1958.  On July 18, 1958, Sharon married her high school sweetheart, Lyle Schmidt in Sutton and moved to Fairbury where Lyle was attending college.  To this union four children were born, Rebecca, Craig, Victoria and Russell.  Family was very important in her life.  Many weekends were spent with family in Sutton, camping, fishing and lots of family road trips and vacations.  Sharon was very active in Girl Scouts as a leader for her two daughters and many area girls. She taught Sunday school, was in PTA and Extension Club, and helped in Cub Scouts.  Sharon also enjoyed many trips to the pond or creek to sit and crochet while watching Lyle fish.  She even took along an extra chair for their cat “Toasty” to keep her company.  She was a true “Katzenmutter” according to her mother.

Sharon was a stay-at-home mom until 1977.  She worked in a sewing factory for 24 years doing many jobs.  In the summer of 2000, Swingsters was sold and those jobs were moved to Mexico.  Sharon was offered two years of free college, but at 60 she chose unemployment.  In 2001, she was offered a part-time bookkeeping job at B & D.  She worked there until that business closed in April 2004.  After that, Sharon and Lyle enjoyed retirement. The family found in a note she wrote, “It was nice not having to answer that alarm clock every morning”.  Sharon’s mother fell and broke her hip and she made many trips to Lincoln to be with her in rehab and then regular trips to Sutton to see her in the nursing home.  She wrote that coming home to Sutton did have some good moments along with the sad, losing her mom.

Shari’s hobbies included crocheting, genealogy, reading, photography and recipes (finding, saving, collecting, buying cookbooks, sharing and maybe making them).  Super cheese was her specialty.  Sharon was taught by her mother and she enjoyed teaching all her kids, grandkids and even the great-grandkids the secrets of making this family recipe.

Sharon and Lyle always enjoyed following their children, then grandchildren and then the great-grandchildren.  In her note, she expressed how they loved following everyone’s sporting, music and other such events.  “Even going to chess tournaments our youngest grandson Trevor was in.”  She said they have “even started going to watch a rock group at bars – late at night – and staying awake” supporting her three grandsons, Nathan, Justin and Brad in their band “Monsters At Bay”.

A lot of wonderful memories happened at their home, “The Farm”.  Everyone couldn’t wait to go out to visit them, hike, fish and to play outside with all the cats and their dog Ginger.  She would never let you leave without a big hug and kiss on the cheek with a “I love you”.  We all know how much she loved us and she knew that we loved her even more.

Sharon is preceded in death by her parents and husband.

Survivors:  children, Becky (Marvin) Stelling of Fairbury, Craig (Teresa) Schmidt of Walterboro, SC, Vicky (Don) Earl of Mullen, NE and Russ (Kathy) Schmidt of Concordia, KS; grandchildren, Erin (Drew) Hardenburger of Belleville, KS, Nathan (Ashley) Stelling of Fairbury, Justin (Tatum) Stelling of Fairbury, Curtis (Christina) Schmidt of Beatrice, NE, Heidi (Robby) Davis of Fairburn, GA, Bradley Earl of Fairbury, Kayla (Ian) Bester of Murdo, SD, Tory (Patty) Seibolt of Hillsboro, OR, Miranda (Jesse) Frye of Concordia, KS, Travis (Abigal) Schmidt of Concordia, KS,  Trevor Schmidt of Manhattan, KS; great-grandchildren, Beckett and Brinley, Wesley, Taten and Olive, Kaylee, Rowen and Rook, Graham, Bryant, Logan, Javisi and Aydan, Kaedyn, Keltyn and Xandyr, Kyndal and Lachlan. Sisters, Marcy Atkins of Fairbury, Pam Conn of Fremont, NE and Lori (Jeff) Bonnett of Omaha, NE; brother, Bruce (Kim) Trautman of West Des Moines, IA; sisters-in-laws, Nancy Bottorf of Tuscon, AZ, Cindy (Larry) Krous of Unionville, MO; brother-in-law, Dick Schmidt of Collingswood, NJ, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and lot of friends.

Services will be Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Fairbury with Lana Likens officiating.  Memorials to the Family's Choice.  Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.  www.gerdesmeyerfh.com