Sharon Rae Garlisch Grams, 84, of Jacksonville, Illinois, died Saturday, October 10, 2026, at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.

She was born July 20, 1942, the daughter of Arnold W. and Elvira (Moehling) Garlisch. Sharon married Gary Wallace Grams on August 22, 1964, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. They had just celebrated sixty-two years of marriage together.

Sharon is survived by her husband; sons, Jeffrey Wallace (Kim) Grams of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and Joel William Grams of Avon, Ohio; granddaughters, Hayley Nicole and Krista Michelle Grams, both of Scottsbluff; and siblings, Gregg (Barb) Garlisch of Vancouver, Washington, and Gail (Bill) Kidd of Shorewood, Illinois. She was preceded in death by her son, Eric Arnold Grams; parents; and sister, Nancy Ledwon.

Sharon was raised in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She graduated from Elk Grove High School and received a bachelor’s degree in home economics in 1964 from Valparaiso University in Indiana. She was a proud homemaker and enjoyed things like cooking, sewing, and knitting.

Sharon and Gary moved around quite a bit due to his job. They lived in Evanston, IL, Menomonee Falls, WI, Houston, TX, Ringwood, NJ, Danbury, CT, and finally settled in Jacksonville, IL.

While Gary was in school, Sharon worked in the research department at Swift & Company Taste Research in Chicago and would always bring food home for Gary to try. She worked for Sunbeam Appliance Research Center, also in Chicago, and as a teacher’s aide for a church preschool in Ringwood, NJ. In Jacksonville, Sharon really enjoyed volunteering at Passavant Area Hospital, where she dedicated fifteen years of her time.

Sharon and Gary attended Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in 2001 shortly after their move to Jacksonville. They have been members ever since and greatly enjoy being a part of the church community. Sharon loved to travel and take trips. They have taken several trips with friends to places like Africa, Isreal, the Caribbean, and most recently to Bermuda. A couple of her favorite trips with her family were to Walt Disney World and Alaska.

A funeral service will be held 11:00 AM Thursday, October 15, 2026, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jacksonville. The family will meet friends from 10:00 AM until time of service. Burial will take place at later date at St. John’s Lutheran Church Cemetery in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. The Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be left online at buchanancody.com.