SHARON E. SCHLUNTZ
A funeral service for Sharon E. Schluntz will be held on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Huntley Methodist Church in Huntley, Nebraska, with Pastor Jean Clayton officiating. Interment will follow at the Bainbridge Cemetery near Huntley.
Sharon Elaine Schluntz, 85 years of age, of rural Republican City, Nebraska, passed away on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at Holdrege Memorial Homes in Holdrege, Nebraska. Sharon was born on the family farm south of Stamford on the state line in Norton County, Kansas, on June 16, 1940, the youngest of two children, born to William and Golda (Mayo) Petitjean. At a young age, she moved with her family to Oxford, Nebraska. She attended school in Oxford and graduated from Oxford High School with the class of 1958.
After graduating, she moved to Holdrege, Nebraska, and worked at Peterson Hospital.
While living in Holdrege, she was set up on a blind date with Merwin Wesley Schluntz from Huntley, and on April 8, 1960, they were married at Trinity Evangelical Free Church at Holdrege.
They moved to a farm south of Huntley, where they farmed and raised cattle. Sharon and Merwin had two children: Pamela Rae and Douglas Alan. She stayed at home to raise her family and later started working in Alma at Colonial Villa, Harlan County Health Center, sewed for Apple Kays, and later volunteered for the Caring Cupboard.
She was a very active member of the Huntley Methodist Church, the UMW women’s group, and played the piano.
She was also a member of the Baste and Taste extension club.
Sharon enjoyed crafts, embroidery, crocheting, and quilting. Many of the items she made were raffled off for the church bazaar, hospital bazaar, and auxiliary. She was an excellent cook, some of the family favorites were: pies, noodles, cinnamon rolls, peanut brittle, sourdough bread, and dinner rolls. She loved cats and always had a house cat.
Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, William in 1976 and Golda in 1982; her husband, Merwin Schluntz in 2007; sister, Louise Dankers and her husband, Jim; brother- in-law, LeRoy Schluntz and his wife, Vicki; two sistersin- law: Genevieve Ziems and her husband, Wendell; and Vivian Schluntz; a niece, Linda Sturgis; and a great-nephew, Brandon Bishop.
Sharon is survived by her daughter, Pam Downer and her husband, Andrew of Cambridge, Nebraska; son, Doug Schluntz of rural Alma; brother- in-law, Clinton Schluntz of Oxford; sister-in-law, Jean Beiriger and her husband William of rural Holdrege; close friend, Loyd Lowe of Huntley; nieces and nephews, other relatives, and friends.
A memorial has been established in Sharon’s honor and kindly suggested to the family for later designation.
Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at HYPERLINK “http://www.nelsonbauerfh. com” www.nelsonbauerfh.com The Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Alma is in charge of the arrangements.
