Sharel S. (Schmidt) Kilburg

Sharel Susan Kilburg, 76, of Bellevue, passed away on October 30th at home surrounded by her loving family after a 2 year battle with pancreatic cancer. Sharel will graciously donate her body to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics for research following services. 

Funeral mass will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, November4th at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bellevue. Visitation will be held on Friday, November 3rd from 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm at Hachmann-Mier Funeral Home & Cremation Service inBellevue, with additional visitation on Saturday, November 4thfrom 9:00 am – 10:00 am at the funeral home, prior to Mass. Burial will be at a later date in the Andrew Cemetery.

Sharel was born December 19, 1946, in Clinton, the daughter of Arthur and Loretta (Franzen) Schmidt. She grew up on the family farm north of Spragueville, Iowa with her five brothers and one sister.  Sharel married John A. Kilburg on November 6th, 1965, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Preston, Iowa.  Together they operated a dairy farm west of Springbrook their entire livesand raised six children.  

Sharel was sweet, patient, caring, compassionate and was a gentle soul. She saw the good in everyone. She was an outstanding cook.  Her whole family enjoyed and looked forward to her delicious holiday meals that she made look so simple. She was an extremely hard worker and could do anything on the farm from baling small square bales to milkingcows to operating machinery.  She enjoyed being outdoors doing anything from field work on her John Deere 3020 tractor, caring for all the farm animals-with kittens being her favorite, tending to her garden and flowers, and more recently playing with hergrandkids.  She loved her grandkids more than anything and loved when they called her “Granny”.  She rarely had an empty lap with her grandkids around. 

Her true passion was her faith and her bible which continued until she was called home by her Lord and Savior. Even when it would have been convenient for her to be upset about her terminal illness, she never complained or waivered in her trust and faith in God.  She also continued to maintain her quiet sense of humor to the very end.  She will truly be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Survivors include her husband, her children, Paula (Dale) Michel of Springbrook, Iowa, Sandy Kilburg of Moline, Illinois, Brent (Lynn) Kilburg of Maquoketa, Iowa, Shelly (Cliff) Brehm of Cuba City, Wisconsin, Kristi (Joel) Wagner of Bellevue, Iowa, and Craig (Amy) Kilburg of Dubuque, Iowa; ten grandchildren, Chris Brown, John, Anne, and Paul Kilburg, Justin and Jacob Henning, Taylor and Alyssa Wagner, and Brayden and Kylie Kilburg.

She is also survived by her sister, Karen (Bill) Kilburg, brothers, Ardo (Jan) Schmidt, Lyle (Pat) Schmidt, Eldon (Valerie) Schmidt, and Leon (Deb) Schmidt; in-laws, Red (Addie) Kutsch, Elsie Moellers, Julius Reuter, Wayne (Lois) Kilburg, and Janice Portz.  

Sharel was preceded in death by her parents; father and mother in-law, John H. and Mary Kilburg; a brother, Allan Schmidt; in-laws, Norman (Darlene) Kilburg, Felix Moellers, Mary Reuter, Bud (Emma) Schmidt, and Bill Portz.  

The family would like to thank Mercy One Oncology Department, The Mayo Clinic, Mercy One ICU, and Hospice of Jackson County for their wonderful care!

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.hachmannfuneralhome.con