Sharon Gummert

Sharon Gummert, 81, of Conrad, IA a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter-in-law, and friend to many passed away Saturday, April 30, 2022 at Sunny View Care Center in Ankeny, IA surrounded by loving family. Memorial services will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Conrad. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Inurnment will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown, IA. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Animal Rescue League. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com.
Sharon Kay (Garrett) Gummert was born July 7, 1940, to Clark Worth Garrett and Edna Mae (Finders) Garrett in Marshalltown, Iowa. She was joined by sister Carol Ann two years later. Sharon grew up primarily in the rural LeGrand area but graduated from Toledo High School. When she was 10, she and Carol lost their mother to cancer on Christmas Day and Sharon assumed the role of family caretaker at that young age. That event profoundly affected the Garrett family and the rest of her life.
Sharon was married to Leslie Gummert on June 25, 1960, and they were married until her death. Together they raised three children in the family home in Conrad, Iowa: Julie (Gerald) Rickert of Richland, MI; Randy (Lynn) of Ankeny, IA; and Eric (Amy) of Marshalltown, IA. Sharon and Les have four grandchildren: Garrett Scrivener of Astoria (Queens), New York; Taryn Scrivener of Fall River, MA; and Cameron Vranek and Maisie Gummert of Marshalltown. Sharon is survived by her husband of 61 years, Les Gummert of Ankeny, IA, and also her sister, Carol Hanrahan, of Roseburg, Oregon.
Sharon and Les moved to Conrad shortly after their marriage and continued to reside there until moving to Ankeny during the past year to be closer to family. While her children were young, Sharon was primarily a homemaker and was highly involved in the BCLUW Schools: as a band and music parent (including as president of the music boosters); as a sports booster for her children's involvement in baseball, basketball, football, softball, track, and wrestling; and as a community member of the committee which studied adopting the middle school model in BCLUW Schools. As her children grew older, Sharon held several part-time jobs including at the U.S. Post Office in Conrad and as a church secretary for more than 25 years for churches in Conrad, Gladbrook, and Marshalltown.
Sharon was involved in numerous performing arts activities in the Conrad area. She faithfully sang alto in the First Presbyterian Church adult choir for many years, as well as with the Tuesday Musical Club. She sang in the chorus of several Whistle Stop Players productions (including "Oklahoma" and "The Music Man") and was on the props crew for many of their productions. She scrimped and saved so her children could have a piano and music lessons. Sharon was also interested in visual arts and took classes in art at Marshalltown Community College and was an avid collector of antiques. Additionally, she was an accomplished seamstress and taught sewing skills as well as knitting and crocheting to her daughter; she made many of her own clothes and delighted in opportunities such as the 1980 Conrad Centennial and sewing special costumes. Besides her family, she loved cats, following the Iowa Hawkeyes, tending her flower and vegetable gardens (especially her roses), and being active in politics.
In more recent years, Sharon and Les were able to travel, including taking a cruise to Alaska and a trip by car to the New England states in fall of 2015, not long before advancing dementia placed her in the Oakview Nursing Home in Conrad and later Sunny View Care Center in Ankeny. The family is grateful to all those who provided her with loving care during those years.