Sharon Boatman

Sharon Kay Boatman, 79, of Wakefield, Nebraska died on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at the Wakefield Health Care Center in Wakefield. A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne, NEat 10:00 a.m. The family will greet friends beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the church prior to the services. Lunch will be served at Holy Family Hall in the church immediately following the ceremony. Burial will be in the St. Rose Cemetery in Crofton, NE. Bressler – Munderloh – Smith Funeral Home of Wakefield is handling the services. Sharon was born on February 27, 1944 in Yankton, SD, the daughter of George and Clara (Meyer) Reifenrath. Following her graduation from Crofton High School, she attended beauty school in Norfolk, NE. She was united in marriage to Gerald Boatman, and the couple moved to New York for a few years before returning to the Midwest and settling in Wakefield. They had two daughters, Dawn and Heather, and later divorced. Sharon dedicated much of her life to sharing her love with children. After spending many years raising her children and taking care of others in the neighborhood, she became one of the inaugural employees of Humpty Dumpty Daycare. She spent several years tending to little ones there, then began working in the Wakefield Community School until her retirement at the age of 62. Sharon enjoyed flowers and working in her garden. For many years she was an avid quilter and seamstress, sewing clothes for her family and costumes for plays at the Little Red Hen Theatre. She also performed in a few shows at the Theatre and loved singing and crafting. Sharon was a long-time member and past president of the American Legion Auxiliary. Sharon was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her two daughters, Dawn Boatman of Portland, Oregon, and Heather Boatman of Wakefield, Nebraska, as well as her grandson, Emerson Boatman, also of Portland. She is also survived by a brother, William (Glenda) Reifenrath of Novato, California.