Sharon L. Schmiers, 58, of 229 So. Curry St., Ironwood, formerly of Moline, Ill., died Sunday evening, Aug. 10, 2008, in her home, with her family by her side, following a long battle with lung cancer. She was born Sept. 27, 1949, in Moline, daughter of the late William D. and Nancy L. (Calcutt) James, and graduated from Moline High School in 1967. Upon graduation, she married Jack J. Schmiers and resided in Norfolk, VA, where he was stationed in the Navy, which was where they had their first child Amy. After his duty in the Navy they moved back to Moline where their next two children, Sean and Beth, were born, and where they lived and raised their family. Jack's job then took him to Ashland, Wis. In 2003, they resided in Iron Belt for about a year before moving to Ironwood. Sharon made several trips back to Illinois to care for her family members while they were ill. She would spend weeks at a time to care for her loved ones, no matter what, she would re-arrange her schedule and put other's well being ahead of her own, that was just the way she was. She enjoyed working with the Young Hunters Safety Training Program, where she would grade the test given to the young hunters to make sure they truly understood the importance of hunting. She even sent her own grandchildren through the Program. She truly enjoyed the outdoors; that is why she loved living here in Ironwood so much. She was an active member in the Pheasants Forever Club and volunteered much of her time to the Rock Island Conservation Club in Illinois. Sharon worked in retail most of her life. Her most recent job before her death was working at the Daily Globe in Ironwood. She loved working there and would always tell her family about her job, how much she loved it, and especially about working with the girls in the office; she started working nights in the circulation department before working her way to receptionist. Her last job in life was her favorite and her family is truly thankful that she found a job she loved that didn't take so much time away from her children and grandchildren. The one thing Sharon loved more than anything in the whole world was spending time with her grandchildren and spoiling them, all ten of them and two great-grandchildren. She always put her children and grandchildren first, even over her husband Jack. Jack never complained, he knew when it came to the kids he was outnumbered. She would always go overboard for birthdays and Christmas and he would always tell her not to, but he knew she was going to anyway and he just learned to accept it. There has always been an inside family joke where Jack would tell all the grand kids...If something happens to grandma I am going to stiff all of you, and Sharon would say "Oh no your not, Jack!" Sharon is survived by her husband, Jack; a son, Sean (Kantina), Stronghurst, Ill.; two daughters, Amy (Douglas) Miller, Matherville, Ill., and Beth Schmiers (Scott Van De Walle), East Moline, Ill.; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; four sisters, Jessica (Dave) Ward, Druanne (Sherman) Franks, and Ruby (Dave) Bendle, all of Coal Valley, Ill., and Wanda (Bubba) Easterlin, Georgia; her mother-in-law, Betty Hardesty, Moline; brother-and-sisters-in-law, Robert and Denise Dreher, Silvis, Ill., and Linda Schmiers, East Moline; aunts and uncles, Joanne and Leonard Hartsock, Spencer, Neb., McCoy and Betty James, Springfield, Ill., and Donna James, Coal Valley; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Besides her parents, Sharon was preceded in death by a brother, Joey Ward. At the family's request, cremation has taken place. A memorial service in celebration of Sharon's life will be held Saturday, Aug. 16, at 11 a.m., at the McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home, 305 N. Lowell St., in Ironwood, with the Rev. Darryl Pepin, pastor of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Ironwood, officiating. Luncheon will follow at the Iron Nugget in downtown Hurley. Friends may call at the funeral home one hour prior to the service on Saturday. To view Sharon's obituary online, sign the guestbook and express condolences, visit mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick and Engstrom Funeral and Cremation Services of Ironwood and Hurley. The family would like to thank Ruth Myers and Betty Hardesty in particular for the excellent care and support they provided to Sharon and her family during this difficult time