Sharon Kay (Shipley) Zollman

Sharon Kay Zollman passed away on January 25, 2023 at her home in Independence, Missouri. 

Sharon was born November 20, 1943 in Maryville, Missouri to Kelton Arthur and Blanche Maxine Neal Shipley. Sharon attended Sheridan and Grant City Schools graduating in 1961. She grew up attending the R.L.D.S. Church in Allendale, Missouri where she put her musical talents to work playing the piano for many church services. She also enjoyed playing the clarinet in the high school band and dulcimer in her adult years.

She went on her first date with William T. Zollman as a senior in high school and gave up a job she had planned to accept in Colorado to keep on dating the handsome young man she would eventually marry on June 24, 1962 in Maryville, Missouri.

Bill and Sharon spent their first years of marriage in Kansas City, Missouri. Shortly after the birth of the first of three children, they returned to their Worth County roots and made their home on the Zollman family farm just down the road from Bill’s childhood home in Grant City, Missouri, and only a few miles across the Westfork Grand River where Sharon grew up in Isadora, Missouri, spending time with sister and best friend, Madelyn, and younger brother, Russell.

After over 20 years of raising dairy cattle and three children on the farm, Sharon and Bill left Grant City in 1987 and spent many years together traveling across the country in Bill’s 18-wheeler. In 1990 they once again planted new roots, purchasing and remodeling the new Zollman family homestead where they would spend the next 22 years surrounded within a short driving distance of their children and grandchildren.

For Sharon, genealogy was a lifelong passion with every family tree meticulously explored and every root traced back to the Mayflower, or at least as far back as she could discover. Endless hours were spent carefully chronicling each family lineage, adding in newspaper clippings and other interesting tidbits of history, which were then copied, placed in sheet protectors, and stored in countless three-ring binders to be lovingly passed down for her children, grandchildren and future generations to cherish.

Throughout her life, a camera was never very far from Sharon’s hands. Children, grandchildren, family and friends all knew that pausing for photos was an absolute requirement for any family gathering. Every birthday party, sporting or musical event, church activity or holiday celebration could almost entirely be relived flipping through the pages of Sharon’s numerous photo albums. Every gift anyone received was faithfully photographed and printed off at the nearest one-hour photo to be forever preserved for posterity.

Sharon enjoyed sewing, crocheting, crafts, cooking, photography, reading, writing, history, the outdoors and working with youth. Nearly all of these hobbies and skills were put to good use at many of the jobs she worked throughout her life. Whether it was serving ice cream sodas as a teenager at “Fuzzy’s” Drug Store on the Grant City square, working as a seamstress at the Cap factory, or serving as a camp counselor and advisor for the  4-H extension offices or the Girls Scouts of America, Sharon loved working with her hands, teaching and sharing her knowledge with the next generation. In 1987, she earned her degree in physical education from Northwest Missouri State University, a journey which she first started in 1962. Her degree in physical education came in handy years later as she spent many faithful years running “Grandma Sharon’s Daycare” for her beloved grandchildren.

Sharon was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and one of her greatest joys was spending time with family. For as long as her health would permit, Sharon never missed an opportunity to attend, support, or cheer on any school, church, sporting or other extracurricular activities that both her children and grandchildren participated in, always there with camera in hand to memorialize the moment.

Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Kelton and Blanche Shipley.  Sharon is survived by her husband of sixty years Bill, daughter Vonda Vowells and husband Rick of Independence, Missouri, son Steven Zollman and wife Raelene of Lawson, Missouri; daughter Vicky Hilsdon and husband Troy of Blue Springs, Missouri. Seven grandchildren:  Quentin Vowells of Blue Springs, Missouri; Macee Vowells of Blue Springs, Missouri; Reese Zollman of Grant City, Missouri; Mason Zollman of Linn, Missouri; Zane Vowells of Independence, Missouri; Wyatt Hilsdon of Blue Springs, Missouri; and Ashlyn Hilsdon of Blue Springs, Missouri; brother Russell (Connie) Shipley of Salt Lake City, Utah; sister Madelyn (Roger) Klepper of Butler, Missouri and many nephews and nieces.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, January 28, 2023 the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home with interment at Honey Grove Cemetery in Grant City, Missouri. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to service time.

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