Sharon Lodean Elmer was born on June 27, 1939. She was an only child born to Marie Slay in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She spent her early years in Clifton, Arizona and later moved to Tucson where she attended Flowing Wells High School. She met her eternal sweetheart and married Boyd T Elmer on April 13, 1957.
Sharon was a devoted wife and mother to 3 children: Neal Elmer (Pam) of Safford, Karen Lee (Mark) of Gilbert and Bob Elmer (Lisa) of Gilbert. She is a loved and cherished grandmother of 14, with 36 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. She loved each one of them and could always be found holding or entertaining a baby.
After supporting her husband through school while working full time, she went back to school to earn her degree in Library Science. She spent many years working at Thatcher Middle School, right across the hall from her sweetheart where she retired in 2004. Sharon and her husband, Boyd, served a mission for their church in Nairobi, Kenya and then 2 additional missions to the Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Some of her favorite things were spending time with family, quilting and crocheting and researching family history. She worked as an ordinance worker in the Gila Valley Arizona Temple and served in the local Family History Library in Safford for 9 years.
She was loved and cherished not only by her family, but she never met a person that wasn’t her friend. In her final years, when the dreadful dementia had advanced, she loved to sit on the front bench at Walmart smiling and greeting every stranger she met.
Sharon entered life eternal Friday evening, December 11, 2020, at her residence surrounded by her loving family. She was 81.
Funeral services for Sharon will be conducted Thursday, December 17, 2020, at 1:00 p.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mt. Graham Chapel by Bishop Mike Fox of the Safford 7th Ward. Concluding family graveside services will follow in the Gila Valley Memorial Gardens.
Family will receive friends Wednesday Evening, December 16, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., at the Vining Funeral Home and Thursday afternoon, December 17, 2020, from 12:00 p.m. (noon) until 12:45 p.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mt. Graham Chapel Relief Society Room.
Online condolences may be offered at www.viningfuneralhome.com
Arrangements are entrusted to Vining Funeral Home.
