Sherry A. Retzlaff

Sherry Ann Retzlaff, 75, of Rushville, Nebraska, passed away on January 6, 2026, at Brookefield Park in St. Paul, Nebraska, after a long battle with an aggressive cancer. Even in her final chapter, she insisted on doing things her way, with strength, humor, and courage. 

She was born in 1950 to Margie and Forrest Shannon in Rushville, Nebraska and grew up on a farm six miles outside of Rushville. That farm produced a woman with grit, discipline, a legendary work ethic, and a lifelong belief that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. She carried those values with her everywhere, and heaven help you if you didn’t. Sherry was the devoted wife of Kerry Retzlaff, her partner in life, love, and countless projects. Together they had two children - first Taryn and then Lacey, 20 months later. Together they built a life grounded in family, service, and community. She was a sister to Mary Jo and Kathy; and was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Terrance (Berniece) Shannon, Colleen (Bernie) Butterfield; and her dear sister, Cristi (Tim) Laue, whom she loved deeply and missed always. 

Sherry didn’t just teach, she led. Teaching wasn’t her job; it was her calling. She believed fiercely in kids, set the bar high, and refused to lower it. She pushed students to be better because she knew they could be, and because she cared too much to let them settle.  An absolute force to be reckoned with, Sherry shaped generations of Rushville and Gordon area students who are better humans because she once stood at the front of their classroom and expected great things.  Her excellence was recognized time and again, including honors such as the 2004 Nebraska State Education Association’s Award for Teaching Excellence, 2004 Friedman Teacher Leadership Award presented by Ak-Sar-Ben, 2005 Nebraska Walmart Teacher of the Year, and 2006 Chadron State College Distinguished Alumni Award. She accepted the awards, nodded politely, and went right back to work because the work mattered more than the recognition.  Sherry’s love for Rushville ran deep and wide. She showed up, stepped in, raised money, led committees, and made things happen. She helped fund projects throughout the community, including the walking paths around town, led donation campaigns so area students had all the school supplies they needed, and raised money for cancer patients on behalf of CARE, proving that progress sometimes starts with a clipboard and a refusal to take “no” for an answer. Sherry believed deeply in service, leadership, and pitching in, and she lived those values every day in her classroom. She was a master teacher who led with passion, creativity, and an unshakable belief in the power of a well-timed lightbulb moment. Her students still remember studying Starry Night while listening to Don McLean’s Vincent (Starry, Starry Night), being absolutely terrified by her dramatic retellings of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, and watching in awe as Tums tablets and vinegar launched film canister tops into the air. Learning with Sherry was never passive. It was loud, memorable, occasionally startling, and always meaningful. Ornery as hell with a wicked sense of humor, she was sharp, honest, funny, and impossible to ignore. If she believed in you, you felt ten feet taller. 

Above all else, Sherry’s greatest joy in life was her seven grandchildren. They were her pride, her favorite audience, and her chosen adventure companions. She loved taking them everywhere, teaching them everything, and watching them become exactly who they were meant to be. She guided them through science experiments, golf cart rides around Rushville, and visits to area businesses so her grandkids could be immersed in educational opportunities. She set up excursions to Chadron State Park for pottery and horseback riding, combine rides in the fields to learn about harvest, and accompanied them to assist in medical procedures at the Rushville Veterinary Clinic. 

She leaves behind her husband Kerry; her daughters, Taryn (Amber) Retzlaff of Lincoln and Lacey (Boyd) Bowder of St. Paul; and her seven grandchildren - Eli, Raegan, and Collin Retzlaff, and Layla, Boston, Scout, and Rivers Bowder, each of whom held a permanent place in her heart. She is also survived by her sisters, Mary Jo (Skip) Olds of Lincoln, Kathy (Ron) Sones of Rapid City, South Dakota, Sharon (Gerald) VanBuskirk of Omaha; and many nieces and nephews; along with countless former students, colleagues, friends, and community members who were shaped, challenged, encouraged, and forever changed by her strength and heart. She leaves behind her beloved backyard and garden. Sherry’s backyard was always a place of peace - for celebrations, get-togethers with friends, or even a place to sit in the quiet to just be. 

Sherry Ann Retzlaff was many things: a teacher, a leader, a mother, a wife, a sister, a grandmother, and a freaking force of nature who ran on coffee, chaos, and stubborn love. She scared students into loving literature, blew minds with science experiments, and somehow made the world around her smarter, stronger, and better looking. Somewhere in heaven, Sherry is running her vacuum, sipping chocolate milk (with Kahlúa, of course), planting flowers, and organizing committees like a boss. Because that was Sherry. 

Sherry’s wishes were to have friends and family gather together for an afternoon of storytelling and celebration.  If you have a story that captures Sherry’s spirit, please send it to one of her close family members or friends. Storytelling will take place at 3:00 pm MST on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at the Methodist Church in Rushville, Nebraska, with a Graveside Service at 10:00 am MST on Monday, February 9, 2026, at Fairview Cemetery in Rushville. In lieu of flowers, since there is no church service, please do what Sherry dedicated her life to doing and bless a stranger with a random act of kindness in her honor.