Sharon L. Straus

Sharon Lee Straus, 82, passed away on May 17, 2021. Her family was with her. She was born March 11, 1939, in Guttenberg, to Lamar and Luva Chettinger. She grew up on a farm outside of Garber and graduated from Guttenberg High School. She was active in church at St. John Church of Christ. She met and married Harvey Straus in July of 1957. They lived in Cedar Rapids for a short time after they were married and then moved back to Garber.

Sharon was a great cook and you could always find fresh baked cookies, pies and cakes. She had a large garden and was always outside when the weather was nice. 

Sharon loved to create things. She had a loom in the basement and would make rag rugs in the winter. She would quilt, crochet and cross stitch when time permitted. In the winter, there was always a puzzle on the card table to put together. 

Sharon loved to go fishing and camping with her family and, most summers, she could be found on the Turkey River on weekends.

Sharon was very strong and kept fighting until the end. She had a long, hard-fought battle with various forms of cancer for the past 10 years. She had beaten cancer three other times but was unable to in a fourth round.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey L. Straus; her parents, Lamar and Luva Chettinger; and a brother, Clark Chettinger.

Surviving are her children, Curtis (Brenda) Straus of Pine Bluff, Ark., and Sherri (Bill) Stockdale of Peyton, Colo.; a brother, Layton (Pat) Chettinger of Garnavillo; three grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

In following Sharon’s wishes, her body was cremated.

Services will be held at St. John’s Church, Garber, on Thursday, June 24, at 1 p.m. Graveside service will follow at Mt. Harmony Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. John’s Church.