Sharon Smith

Sharon (Liby) Smith was born on October 7, 1945 to Glenn and Mary (Clark) Liby at the Clay County Hospital. Sharon was the second of four children born to Glenn and Mary, however Sharon was the only one to survive birth. Sharon’s two brothers and one sister were all born still, Alfred (1944),Charles (1949), Linda(1951). Sharon grew up on Maple Street in Clay Center. Sharon maintained a close relationship with her parents until Mary’s death in 1985, and Glenn’s death in1989. In 1963, Sharon and her classmates were the final class to graduate from Clay Center’s old high school located where the Presbyterian Manor now sits. Sharon was involved with her class reunion planning committee and remained close with many of her high school classmates her entire life. After graduation she met Frank Smith after his return from the Navy in 1964. They were married on June 7, 1965. They bought a house on McBratney Street in Clay Center, where Sharon lived the rest of her life. Frank and Sharon shared life together until Frank’s death thirty-­-two years later in 1997. Between 1963 and 1973, Sharon worked as a nurse’s aide at the Clay County Medical Center, then, at the Presbyterian Manor. In 1966, Sharon had a medical issue that left her unable to have children. Shortly thereafter, Frank and Sharon began the process of adoption. In October of 1973, Frank and Sharon adopted William (Bil) Smith. Sharon cherished being a mother and spent countless hours with, what would be, her only child. In the early 1990s, Sharon began working at the Dollar General Store in Clay Center. She is well remembered by many shoppers for her friendly disposition and positive attitude. She later worked at the Presbyterian Manor as one of the kitchen staff until she retired in 2009. In 1993, Sharon was diagnosed with diabetes, very common to her family. Because her condition was extremely “brittle,” she struggled to regulate her condition for the rest of her life. She died on the afternoon of May 7, 2015, due to complications with diabetes. Sharon had a close network of friends with whom she regularly had breakfast and chatted on the phone. She was a faithful member of Calvary Baptist Church in Clay Center. She loved the Lord. She loved and was loved by her church family. Sharon loved to crochet. She created hundreds of doilies, most of which she gave away to friends, family, and acquaintances. More than once, she had met someone who commented on the beauty of the doily on which she was working, and when she would finish, she would give that person the doily. Sharon was a lover of animals, especially cats. Over the years, Sharon raised many cats, and made sure the strays in her neighborhood were fed. Sharon’s most cherished kitty, Sammy, a twenty-­-year old, Himalayan joined her death the day after Sharon’s passing. Sharon loved life. She remained chipper with a positive attitude even in the most difficult of circumstances. Sharon was a faithful wife. Sharon was a loyal friend. Sharon was a loving mother who took great pride in Bil and Bil’s wife Sarah who reside in Tualatin, Oregon. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, May 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM at the Wesleyan Church in Clay Center, KS Burial will follow at the Bala Cemetery, Bala , KS Visitation will be held Friday, May 29, 2015 from 3-8 PM at Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home Memorial contributions may be made to CCARE- Clay County Animal Rescue and Education Center c/o the funeral home