Sharon Kay Netley passed away Saturday, October 3, 2026, at The Village in Indianola, Iowa. She was 85. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, October 9, 2026 at the Fairview Community Church. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, October 8, 2026 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola.

Sharon was born April 27, 1941, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Dolores Kathryn and Wilfred Victor Powers. She grew up with her sister, Nancy Ann, and brother, Ronald William. When Sharon was eight, her family moved from Des Moines to a farm near Spring Hill, Iowa.

At Spring Hill High School, Sharon was a starter on the girls basketball team from seventh grade through her senior year. She played all those years in the same pair of Keds. She was named homecoming queen as a junior and graduated in 1959 as a member of the school’s final graduating class. She later earned a certificate in stenography from the American Institute of Business.

On August 26, 1961, Sharon married Howard Wesley Netley. They settled in Indianola, Iowa, where they bought their first home and started their family. Sharon spent several years at home raising their children before beginning a career in the farm loan division at Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States.

The farm remained part of family life. Sharon and Howard spent every weekend helping her parents there, and their children grew up learning the work it took to keep a farm going. Those weekends were among Sharon’s favorite memories.

Sharon took joy in caring for her family. She made sure her children always had good shoes. As she once said, “You only get one set of feet.” She took pride in selecting and pressing their clothes so they looked as put together as she did. She and Howard also prioritized paying for their children’s college educations so they could start their adult lives without debt. Sharon was a familiar face at her grandchildren’s school and sporting events; she rarely missed one. Her family will remember her love of sports, especially basketball, and her specialties in the kitchen: potato salad, fried chicken, chicken and noodles, and cherry dessert. They will also remember her favorite sandwich combo of bologna, ketchup, and potato chips.

Above all, Sharon wanted to be remembered as a nice person. She lived that simple wish every day. A classy, sweet lady, she made the people around her feel loved and cared for, especially her husband, Howard. She was always his princess.

She is survived by her husband, Howard; her sister, Nancy; her children, Jo (Jim) Mort, Shelli (Tim) McConnell, Todd (DeanAnn) Netley, and Lindsey (Mike) Baughman; her grandchildren, Jess (Jerod) Flaherty, Wes (Kayla) Mort, Jared Netley, Hattie (Kyle) Gauger, Katie Mort, Kieran (Emily) Mort, and Amos Baughman; and eight great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dolores Kathryn and Wilfred Victor Powers; her brother, Ronald William Powers; and her grandson, Gibson Thayer McConnell.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to the Warren County Fair.