PIERCE – A private family funeral service for Sharon K. Broekemeier, 84, of Pierce, will be held at the Zion Lutheran Church in Pierce. Her good friend, the Rev. Gordon Bruce, will be officiating the service. Interment will be held at a later date at the Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, Norfolk, so that all of her special loved ones can be present to share in the celebration of her life.
Sharon went home to Heaven, on Thursday, May 23, 2024, following a brief stay at Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk. We are very blessed to hand her care over to the Stonacek Memorial Chapel, who is in charge of the arrangements.
Writing our mother’s obituary has been one of the most difficult things my brother (Rob) and I (Misti) have ever had to do. Even though we wished more than ever, we knew Mom could not live forever, so have been tasked with this monumental feat. However, in going through a few things, Rob discovered she had inadvertently taken care of us as she always has, even after her passing. She somehow crafted her own obituary, because something else about Mom, she loved to write, so we merely picked up where she left off, by adding the missing pieces. This is an excerpt from her 50th class reunion book (slightly edited to adjust to current time): In her own words: "I was born on Jan. 8, 1940, (at home) in a little house about three miles out of Plainview in the days when a doctor delivered babies for chickens as payment, to Earl and Elmerna (Tift) Wecker. When I was about two years old, my parents bought and moved to a farm three miles east and ½ mile south of Osmond. (She was baptized at the Presbyterian Church in Osmond, confirmed, and joined the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Osmond in 1959).
I attended school at District 19 West for eight years and then attended good old OHS (Osmond High School) for the next four years (and graduated in 1957).
After graduation, I attended Wayne State Teachers College during the summers of 1957 and 1958 and the year 1958. I roomed with my old high school friend, Judy Enevoldsen Beaudette and we had a ball. After going to summer school in 1958, I obtained a two-year teaching degree and, believe it or not, got a teaching job in District 19 East where I taught 18 'little angels' in grades kindergarten through eighth grades. That's when my real education began! I taught there for two years and when Osmond redistricted and became District 42R and moved my rural school into town, I moved on to a two-room school and taught in the 'big' village of Sholes, where I taught grades 4-8. While teaching there, I received a letter from Gary 'Red' Schuttler, who was a graduate of Osmond also and elementary principal at Lewis and Clark School at South Sioux City. He asked me and my 'teaching partner in crime' at Sholes, Harriet Broekemeier Bettencourt (and best friend to the day mom died), to consider coming to the "big city' and teach school in his building with the 'big dogs.' Well, long story short, we accepted, and I taught third grade, and third and fourth grade combination, classes for four years. During that time, I got acquainted with Harriet's brother, Bill, who I later took off her family's hands in 1964.
Bill and I were married at South Sioux City in April of 1964, and when school was out in May we moved to the family farm south and east of Osmond (Where they lived until moving to Pierce, when Dad retired from farming. Mom always said it was a hard life, but the best life to have a family).
We were blessed with four children (which she loved dearly and would joke later in life that they were the best because they ultimately gave her 17 grandchildren whom she loved more than anything): Candace Jareske, who along with her husband Greg, (a computer programmer) have six children, including two twin boys, and live at Wayne; Misti Halsey (who works for Nebraska Voc Rehab), along with her husband, Neal, have four children, all boys, she has a 'son up to son down' job and she and her husband own(ed) and operat(ed) a convenience store (H & H Gas & Shop) at Pierce; Greg Broekemeier, who along with his wife Tami, have four children and (was) a 'dreaded' Wal-Mart manager at Sioux Falls, S.D., (but now works within the company, as an academy facilitator); and Rob, who seems to have made a career out of going to school as he has a BS degree in biology, a BS degree in nursing and is now on his way to a master’s degree for becoming a nurse practitioner Yay! Cheap medical treatment! (I, Rob, finished my degree and took a job in Pierce so I could care for my parents and have never regretted it, it was the biggest gift and blessings of my life). Rob and his wife Hillary, also an RN, have two beautiful little girls, and one adorable son. In all, we have (17) grandchildren and (5 grandchildren in-law) ranging in age from (39 to 15 years of age, with two great-grandsons, and expecting a great-granddaughter, in a few months).
Our lives now consist(ed) of basically attending band concerts and competitions, music concerts, wrestling meets, speech contest, one act plays, football games and other school activities that grandkids (were) in. We love(d) it!
I am especially proud of my grandchildren (and great-grandchildren), four of whom received their) Eagle Scout badges, and all regularly received honors in speech, acting, band and who are honor students or excel in areas of education and academics, (one who entered the army, like grandpa) and are healthy and ornery little stinkers! They are my pride and joy! (if anything could replace NU football, it was them. She worried and prayed over them, and they filled her heart and life, as did her four adult children and their spouses).
Over our (52) years of marriage, I have been involved in many things.
After moving to Osmond, I taught for one more year at Plainview and 'graduated' one more time-to the Osmond School Board of Education — Who'd thunk it! I was on that board for 12 years and was board president for four years of the 12. I also taught Sunday School for more years than I can remember at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Osmond and was an aide and substitute teacher at the parochial school there for several years.
Over the years, I have helped in our family operation which at one time was between 500 and 600 acres, small time now and was the best corn hauler around — just ask Bill. We also had a cow-calf operation, fed cattle and hogs. I raised a big garden, and Bill did custom combining at harvest times, so I got to be 'chore girl.' Our marriage survived sorting hogs, calving, and working on the combine. A real test!!
I (was) a news reporter for the three Pierce County newspapers where l attend(ed) all meetings of the Pierce County Commissioners and (wrote) and report(ed) that news, and attend(ed) the Pierce City Council meetings once a month, and report(ed) that news. I also 'kind of' manage(d) my son Rob's Liquor and Pizza Store at Pierce and spent much more time in Pierce then, than at Osmond.
We 'custom farmed' out our own farm ground (at that time), which means we hired all planting and harvesting done, but we controlled what was planted and when it was sold.
Why, you ask, do we do that instead of renting it out? Easy answer! So we can sell at the lowest price available!
A little sarcasm!
Our future plans are to stay on the farm as long as God is willing and then move to Pierce (which ultimately happened) where I can get payback on the kid who caused me the most trouble (Misti) and let them take care of us (which was mine and Rob’s, and our family’s greatest honor). We (transferred) our church membership to Pierce at Zion Lutheran.
I thank God daily for all the blessings He has given me and for taking control of my life because I probably would have made a mess of it otherwise. I am not rich in 'moola' but we are 'rich' because we have (17) of the smartest, cutest, most talented grandkids (and great-grandkids) in the world, (five lucky grandchildren-in- law, to be hooked up to MY grandchildren) four of the most wonderful kids, a bunch of good friends and Bill — (who was the love of her life and she missed desperately until she died) who (shook) his head a lot and wonder(ed) what he got into.”
Mom also worked as an insurance agent for crop and hail insurance for Farmers Mutual of Iowa, and she enjoyed meeting and helping other farm families. She enjoyed life and was VERY social. We often joked we were going to bury her in that Lincoln Continental she loved so dearly, with her phone in her hand. She enjoyed dancing and spent many nights at the old Kings Dance Hall, coercing dad out to the floor, reading books for pleasure and to children, gardening and canning and sharing her bounty, planting flowers, watching sports or driving us to games and practices, and playing softball when she was younger. She lived and breathed Nebraska red, and loved watching her Cornhuskers, win or lose (but boy did you hear about it if they lost. I am sure Devaney is getting an earful right now). However, what she loved the most was her family and spending time with them. This brought her the most joy. She spent so much time traveling to her grandchildren’s events, she was so proud of them all. She continued to love life and those who touched it and had many friends she laughed and shared her life with, until God called her home. She loved to cook and bake and was an incredible cook. Many beautiful memories were made enjoying the feasts she made, around the tables in her home, or picnic shelters. She loved animals, and always had one or two little pets to dote on, until her health permitted her to care for them as she felt they deserved. She often gave beyond her means, both financially and emotion - ally, and put everyone else first. In true mom fashion, one of the last things she asked was to have only a small private viewing and funeral, because she did not want to make anyone have to miss work or alter their lives just for her.
She was a good friend, a loving wife, but most of all she loved her Lord, and was the best mom and grandma.
She worked hard all her life, and now she can rest. She loved and was loved fiercely, and is irreplaceable, and will be missed forever.
Survivors include her two daughters and two sons, Candi and Greg Jareske of Wayne, Misti and Neal Halsey of Pierce, Greg and Tami Broekemeier of Brandon, S.D., Rob and Hillary Broekemeier of Osmond; 17 grandchildren; three grandsons-in-law, two granddaughters-in-law, two greatgrandsons, one great-granddaughter on the way, sister-in-law and best friend Harriet Bettencourt of Los Banos, CA, several other in-laws, as well as several nephews, nieces, and friends.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Bill, on Oct. 23, 2016; her parents Earl and Elmerna Wecker; sisters Nancy (Dean) Most, Sandra (Don) Larsen, and brother Ron Wecker.
Condolences may be expressed to the family on-line at www.stonacekfuneralchapel. com.
