SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. – Sharon K. Bilstein (Helm), 79, passed peacefully at her home on Oct. 13, 2020. A celebration of her life will be held Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10 a.m. at Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff with Pastor Michael Hall officiating. Inurnment will follow the services at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Morrill, Neb. Memorials may be made to Saint Joseph’s Children’s Home, Festival of Hope or donor’s choice. Online condolences may be left at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com. Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff is entrusted with arrangements.
Sharon was born Nov. 5, 1940 in Longmont, Colo. to Glen and Opal (Frase) Helm. She moved to Scottsbluff as a young girl and attended the Scottsbluff Public Schools, graduating from SHS in 1959.
She married her high school sweetheart, Bill Dinnel in August 1958 and to this union daughters Janelle and Michelle were born. Their love story was cut short when Bill died of cancer in Nov. 1962.
Sharon married Warren McGrew in 1964 and moved to Chadron where they continued their college educations. Warren died unexpectedly in Dec. 1965. Following his death, Sharon and her daughters moved to Lyman, Neb. where she began a teaching career that would stretch over 40 years.
She married Jerry Bilstein in 1968 and to this union daughter Jeanette was born. They made their home in Alliance, Neb., where Sharon taught country school for many years. She was honored to have taught in a single room schoolhouse the last year it was open. She operated a pre-school for three years and owned and operated a ceramic/craft shop for several years.
Following her divorce from Jerry in 1991, Sharon moved to Torrington, where she taught Special Education in the Goshen County schools for several years before moving to Houston, Texas where she taught for four years. She returned to Nebraska in 2005 and taught at Bridgeport Schools until poor health forced her retirement in 2007.
Sharon was past president of BPO Does, past president of Rebekah’s and a member of PEO Chapter HN. She was a longtime member of the Alliance United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School and was a youth leader. Upon moving to Torrington, she joined the Goshen Baptist Church. She enjoyed a weekly coffee group, playing Bridge, sewing clothes for the church outreach, and spending time with friends and family. Sharon was a talented artist and craftswoman making wedding cakes and florals for many family and friends’ weddings. She enjoyed making bows and dresses for her granddaughters until her death.
“Grandma Bee” loved and cherished her family above all else and welcomed many students and friends into her family. She will be remembered for her genuine caring for others, her sense of humor, her giving ways and her love for Jesus.
She will be missed by her mother, Opal Helm and brother Jim Helm both of Sun City, Arizona; daughters Janelle (Mark) Schultz, Michelle (John) Powell and Jeanette (fiancé Kyle Nichols) Bilstein all of Scottsbluff. Her grandchildren Brittany (Spencer) Meyer, Kortany (Alex) McCauley, Justin (fiancé Tara Harding) Powell, Jeremy (Ali) Powell, Cierra (Shawn) Nagel, and Austyn (Marcus) Pedersen were her pride and joy and her great grandbabies, Legend and Epic Marshall, Andilyn McCauley, Trumynn Nagel and Mazikeen Meyer were the light of her life. She also leaves sisters-in-loves Connie Mathson, Sheron Dinnel and Halene Dinnel, special lifelong friend, Nancy Hall, as well as many nieces, nephews and close friends.
She was preceded in death by her husbands Bill, Warren and Jerry, father Glen Helm, sister Glenda Shaw (Helm), brother Rick Helm, her in-laws Ray and Jewel Dinnel, Jack Dinnel, Ron Dinnel, Don Dinnel, Mildred McGrew and Ava Taylor, and members of the Bilstein family.
