Sharon K. Rieber

Sharon passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2026 at the Accura Health Care Center in Shenandoah. A Memorial Mass will be held on Monday, August 10, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Timothy's Catholic Church Reno in Cumberland. A Rosary will be held at the church, the morning of the service, at 9:30 AM.  The family will greet friends at the Griswold Community Building in Griswold on Sunday afternoon, August 9, 2026 from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. Memorials may be directed to the family.

Sharon Kay (Fisher) Rieber, age 85, formally of the Griswold area, passed away peacefully, as she was surrounded by family members on July 23, 2026, at Accura Healthcare in Shenandoah.

Sharon was born on August 19, 1940, in Dunning, NE, located in the middle of the Nebraska Sandhills.  After a few days, her parents George and Margaret (Iverson) Fisher took their new baby daughter home to their cattle ranch, near Brewster. The Ranch “home” consisted of a tiny 3-room “sod house” with 24-inch-thick walls and a dirt floor. This is where Sharon’s four older sisters were anxiously waiting to see their new baby sister. (This ranch is now owned by Fisher relatives, and the sod house is still standing after at least 125 years. It is one of only a handful of “Soddy’s” still left in the sandhills).

As Sharon grew up, she helped with putting up hay and looking after the cow herd on the ranch. Sharon graduated High School, after attending schools in Dunning and Brewster.  On May 22, 1957, Sharon married a young man who grew up on a nearby ranch, by the name of Merlyn Rieber. They were married at St. Anselm’s Catholic Church in Anselmo, Nebraska. Shortly after they were married, Merlyn and Sharon moved to a farm Southwest of Griswold, in Pottawattamie County Iowa, where Merlyn farmed with his father, Walt.  In their early years of farming in the Griswold – Carson area, 4 children were born to this union. Connie, Brenda, Gerald and Jason.

Sharon took on the normal duties of a farm wife and gardened every year. Sharon spent a lot of time in the kitchen as she cooked a countless number of delicious meals for her family and anyone else who showed up at the farm at noon. Sharon enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, quilting, gardening, traveling and she loved to dance. Sharon always loved visiting with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In the late 1990’s, Merlyn and Sharon moved to Loup City, NE, and built a new home, while they both worked for V.C. Howard Hay Co. In 2003, Merlyn and Sharon retired and sold their home. Then they started touring the United States, as a full-time RV couple. They visited over 25 states, while spending the winters in Yuma, AZ. They especially enjoyed their 2 trips to Alaska.  In their later years they resided in Assisted Living facilities in NE and Iowa.

Sharon was preceded in death by son Gerald Rieber; granddaughter Ellianna Rieber; son-in-law Jerry Saab; her parents George and Margaret (Iverson) Fisher; sisters Odetta (Bill) Huffman, Georgie (Ede) Howard, Dorothy (Vic) Howard, Donna (Pete) Smith; her father and mother-in-law Walter and Vera (Fichter) Rieber; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Carolyn and Steve Collier; and brother-in-law Norval Van Diest.

Sharon is survived by her loving husband of 69 years, Merlyn Rieber of Clarinda, IA; daughters Connie (Frank) Jones of Cumberland, IA, Brenda Rieber-Fields of Blue Springs, MO; son Jason (Tina) Rieber of Shenandoah, IA; daughter-in-law Diane (Bergstrom) Rieber of Macedonia, IA; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Sandi (Gene) Sullivan of Huxley, IA; sister-in-law Marlene Van Diest of Dunning, NE; sister and brother-in-law Phyllis (Jim) Wilhelm of Sheridan, WY. Sharon is survived by 7 grandchildren, Chad (Kris) Jones of Massena, IA, Erik (Sara Beth) Jones of Massena, IA, Ashley (Chad) DiMauro of Bellevue, NE, Colton (Amber) Jones of Massena, IA; Tiara (Javon) Harris of Independence, MO; Colten (Diana) Williamson of Grants Pass, OR and Drake Rieber and fiancé Jocelyn Amos of Shenandoah, IA; 15 great grandchildren; many cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and loved ones.

Sharon suffered with many back issues for decades. May God bless Sharon as she is now free from pain and dancing in Heaven with so many loved ones looking on.