Vona L. Sharer, 91, of Wayne, died Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021 in at Country View Estates in Wayne.
Mass of Christian Burial, with masks required will be Friday, Feb. 19 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne. Visitation will be Thursday, Feb. 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne with a vigil service at 6 p.m. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne.
Memorials in memory of Vona may be directed to St. Mary’s School and the Wayne State College Foundation Class of 1950 Scholarship Fund.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Vona Lou (Wilson) Sharer was born Oct. 17, 1929 in Orchard to Wendell K. Wilson and Carrie A. (Grove) Wilson. Vona Lou grew up on the family farm north and west of Royal. She attended Pleasant Valley District 17 for grade school. She graduated with honors from Orchard High School in 1946 at age 16. She attended and graduated from Wayne State College in 1950 at age 20 with a teaching degree and majors in music and commerce with minors in English and French. She began her teaching career at Wayne High School in 1950, teaching vocal music, and English. On July 15, 1951 Vona Lou was united in marriage with Cletus (Clete) Joseph Sharer at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne officiated by Fr. Robert Hupp. At the conclusion of the 1951-52 school year, Vona retired from full-time teaching to become a full-time wife and mother. She continued serving as a substitute teacher for the Wayne Schools for much of the next 20 years. To Vona and Clete were born four children: Timothy, Jane, Michael and Deena. After her youngest child entered high school, Vona resumed full-time work at Wayne State College, serving in several office assistant positions in the Math-Science and Humanities. She retired from Wayne State College in 1992 to join Clete, who had retired from the United States Postal Service in 1984. Vona and Clete spent 20 winters in Mesa, Arizona where they made many wonderful friends from all over the U.S. They returned to Nebraska permanently in 2010 when Clete’s health made travel difficult. They sold the family home at 1112 Main Street in Wayne and moved to the Oaks in Wayne. In July, 2011, Vona and Clete celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with family and friends at the Oaks. As their care needs increased, they moved together to Country View Estates in December 2011.
Vona was a member of St. Mary’s Church in Wayne for over 70 years and for over four decades was one of the primary church organists. Using her gifts of organization and leadership, she served on the Altar Guild and the School Board of St. Mary’s School in Wayne when their children were attending. Vona and Clete were very active in Lions International for over 40 years. Additionally, Vona was the featured soprano soloist for many years for the annual Handel’s Messiah produced at Wayne State College during the 1950s and 1960s by Professor Russell Anderson. Additionally, she was active in the Wayne Bowling League and was a member of several bridge clubs.
Besides family, one of their great passions was Cornhusker football. Clete and Vona spent many years attending games with dear friends John and Margaret Melena of Wayne. Their football pinnacle came in attending a Nebraska Orange Bowl game in the 1980s.Vona was known for her hospitality and her children's (and grandchildren's) friends knew they were always welcome at 1112 Main in Wayne, and that there were probably freshly baked cookies in the cookie jar or sheet cake and a listening ear and plenty of hugs. Vona was a woman of great faith and hope and has left that legacy to her immediate and extended family.
Survivors include her sons, Timothy (BethAnn) and Michael of Wayne; daughters Jane (Gary) Karns of Lynnwood, Washington; Deena (Mark) Creamer of Beaverton, Oregon; Ann Kinney of Wayne; seven grandchildren Jamie (Tyler) Fountain; Corbin (Shannon Turgeon) Sharer; Josh (Tessa) Sharer; Zachary Karns; Matthew (Liz) Sharer; Emily (Preston Smith); Joseph Creamer; and eight great-grandchildren: Jocelynn, Archer and Brock Fountain; Kade and Cozette Sharer, Landon, Mason and Jalen Sharer; sister-in-law Helen Wilson Wantz of Orchard; many nieces and nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Cletus, in 2012; parents; a brother, Loren Wilson; brothers in-law and sisters in-law, James, Joan, and Millie Sharer; Gordon and Mary Gibbs; Donald and Jean Ann Means; a niece, Beth Means Janssen; a nephew, Charles Gibbs.
