Sharon Ubben, 82, of Austinville, passed away on Friday, May 24, 2024 at Allen Hospital in Waterloo. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 31, 2024 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ackley with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sietsema Funeral Home in Ackley.
Sharon Frances Houlihan was born on April 2, 1942 in Iowa Falls to Dr. Francis and Mary (McLaughlin) Houlihan. She attended Sacred Heart School in Ackley and graduated from Ackley High School in 1960. Sharon then graduated from Iowa State Teachers College in 1963. Sharon married Thomas Ubben on November 29th of 1963 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ackley, Iowa.
Sharon taught in Iowa Falls and was a substitute teacher for many years in the Austinville area. She was approached by students throughout the years and was once remembered as the teacher with “floppy red hair” who was always smiling. She took time off from teaching to raise her 4 boys and farm with Tom before teaching again in Steamboat Rock and Hampton Dumont. She was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ackley and was always telling all she knew to say a prayer to St. Anthony if anything was misplaced or encouraging them to make it to church on Sundays. She also enjoyed coffee and rolls after mass as well as helping put out the cemetery flags each Memorial Day. Sharon enjoyed family get-togethers and especially loved having all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren come visit, where their time was split between “grandma’s house” and “grandpa’s barn”. She filled their time with making paper books, paper dolls, cooking, swimming in the pool, or going on adventures on the 4 wheeler because nobody was allowed to be bored at grandma’s house. Sharon had a deep love for her Irish heritage and loved sharing stories about her ancestors or recognizing physical features that were passed down from each generation to the next. She cherished her time going on adventures with friends, whether that be one on one or with her Prairie Girls group.
Sharon is survived by her four sons, Terry (Echo) of Ankeny, Ryan (Colette) of St. Ansgar, Pat (Trisha) of Ackley, and Kent (Gina) of Austinville, sister Colleen Carruthers of Ankeny; brothers-in-law Dale (Lori) of Austinville and Ron Nollette of Omaha, sister-in-law Marilyn La Pierre of Brandon, Mississippi twelve grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and a multitude of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She is preceded in death by the love of her life, her husband, Dear Sweet Thomas; parents, Dr. Francis and Mary Houlihan, father and mother-in law, Ted and Irene Ubben; siblings Patricia Nollette, Mike Houlihan, and brother-in-law Ronnie Carruthers; and nephew Rick Nollette.
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