Emerson Sherard

Emerson Sherard, age 88, of Giltner died Friday, September 21, 2007 at the Nebraska Heart Institute in Lincoln, NE.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Monday, September 24th at the United Methodist Church in Giltner. Rev. Marta Wheeler will officiate. Internment will be in the Giltner Cemetery. Visitation will be at from 5 to 7 P.M. Sunday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com. Contributions can be made in Emerson’s memory to the Giltner United Methodist Church.

OBITUARY: EMERSON SHERARD

Emerson Lavern Sherard was born March 17, 1919, at Gibbon, Buffalo Co., NE. He was the oldest child of Oscar Lavern and Edna Mae (Keechler) Sherard. He was named after his father and grandfather, Edward Emerson Sherard. He died in Lincoln, NE, on September 21, 2007, at the age of 88.

In 1935, Emerson and his sister Ethel Mae came down with diphtheria. Even though Emerson came down with the disease first, Ethel Mae died and Emerson recovered. Because of the hospitalization, Emerson missed a year of high school. He graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in the class of 1939. He took college preparatory courses in high school, but because of the Great Depression in the 1930’s he did not go to college.

On January 21, 1941, Emerson Lavern Sherard married Nadine Jenny Becker in Hall Co., Nebraska. After Emerson and Nadine got married, they farmed briefly northwest of Grand Island. They then moved to a rented farm southeast of Chapman, Merrick Co., Nebraska. Because food production was critical during World War II, Emerson was granted a draft deferment. Tires and farm equipment were difficult to buy during the war. Emerson tells of going to Omaha, Nebraska, and buying a used truck from Rosen-Novack Chevrolet who supposedly was the only dealer between Denver and Chicago who had any trucks for sale.

In February 1947, they moved to a farm southeast of Giltner. Until the early 1950’s, the farm home, had no interior bath or permanent electrical system. A wood stove for cooking, kerosene stove for heating, and kerosene lamps for lighting were used. A major advancement was made when the family acquired a television in 1957.

Emerson always drove Chevrolet cars and trucks and used Allis Chalmers farm equipment until the late 1950’s when he started using John Deere farm equipment. Emerson usually milked cows in order to have additional steady income. He raised hogs until the late 1960’s when he stopped raising them because of disease problems and extra work involved in keeping them penned up. Chickens and cattle always were present. In the 1960’s, he milked as many as 70 Holstein cows. He often would buy extra cattle, which he would feed out (as many as 100) for slaughter. He preferred Hereford livestock to other breeds. He usually trucked the cattle to Omaha where they were sold.

The years 1955 and 1956 were particularly bad with the drought and grasshoppers. In addition, he always tried to do his own maintenance and repair work including engine overhauling .

About 1974, Emerson and Nadine moved from their farm home to a newly built home in Giltner. Over the years, Emerson has served in several community type organizations. These included representative of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service for Union township in Hamilton County, Hamilton Co. Extension Board Service, Giltner Co-op Elevator board, and as Worshipful Master of Eminence Lodge No. 223 AF&AM (Masons). He also was a member of the Platt Duetsche Society of Grand Island, the Eagles Lodge of Grand Island, the Greenwood Club, and the Giltner United Methodist Church. The Greenwood Club was a bi-weekly card party in which neighbors gathered to play an evening of pitch. He also enjoyed polka music. Over the years he traveled often to Colorado and Tennessee to visit relatives.

Nadine died in 1992. Emerson continued to live in town at Giltner, Nebraska until his death.

Emerson is preceded in death by his parents, wife, daughter Vickie Kay, and two sisters Ella Jean Schimmer Olsen, and Ethel Mae. He is survived by sons Gerald (spouse Fran) of Lakewood, CO, and Dwight of Giltner, NE, two grandchildren Debbie Sherard (spouse Nandu Giri) and John of Lakewood, CO, and companion Helen Colburn of Giltner, NE.