Sheralyn Ilg

08/27/1942 – 03/24/2023

Seldom does one have the opportunity to share their life with a person such as Sheralyn Ilg. Sheralyn died March 24, 2023, at Mercy San Juan Hospital after suffering a major stroke earlier that day.

Sheralyn was born to Robert and Verna Homer, August 27, 1942, in Farnam, Nebraska. At the time of her birth, her dad was training to be a glider pilot in World War II. During this time, she lived in many places as she and her mom followed her dad to various stations around the U.S. She attended many schools in the Rocky Mountain region while her dad was beginning his post-military career. She graduated high school in 1960 in Worland, Wyoming.

Upon graduation, Sheralyn went to work for the telephone company. Shortly thereafter, she met Larry Ilg on a blind date and went the drive-in theater to see 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was a summer of discovery of the cowboy way, rodeos, and courting. She had found the love of her life and future husband of 62 years.

They married December 29, 1960, in the presence of their families at her parents’ home in Worland. They moved to Dubois where Larry worked in the timber industry. Brad was born October 30, 1961 at the closest hospital which was 90 miles of Wyoming blizzard away in Riverton. In 1963, when Brad was a yearling, they loaded their ’56 Pontiac towing a 4′;x6′ U-Haul trailer and headed to California’s Central Valley where Larry buckarooed on some of the Old Miller and Lux ranch properties. They had no electricity, indoor plumbing, or running water. This was a time for adjustment for Sheralyn.

A short time later, they moved to Redway, Northern California where Larry went to work for Axel Erickson. Scott was born in Garberville, February 12, 1964. It was here that Sheralyn began her years long daily routine of packing Larry’s lunch at 4:30 a.m. every morning. In fall of 1965, they moved to Colfax where Larry was working in the woods supplying timber for the sawmill in Marysville that Axel and his son Jack purchased. After a few years in Colfax, they moved to Penn Valley, where they bought their first home. Starting at Yuba College, Sheralyn commuted in her 1969 GTO, graduating from Sacramento State in 1974 with a degree in Education. Her first teaching assignment was at Deer Creek School in 1974. In 1975 she began her 28-year career at Lyman Gilmore Middle School in Grass Valley, retiring June, 2003. During her years at Lyman Gilmore, she touched the lives of over 1,000 students and their families. To this day, wherever you go, someone remembers The Famous Ms. Ilg as their favorite teacher. She was instrumental in the annual 6th grade, multi-day trip to Science Camp in the Bodega Bay area. Part of this program involved her interviewing high school students to serve as counselors during Camp. She was also a teacher of teachers offering in-services through the Writing Project assisting teachers to become more effective writing instructors. In 1982, she took a one-year leave to move to Indonesia where Larry was the Project Manager of logging and sawmill operations on the Island of Sulawesi for The Erickson Group, sharing the jungle camp with pythons, giant beetles, monkeys and other native species.

From 2003-2006, they lived in Placitas, New Mexico but she often returned to Grass Valley as a substitute teacher. They moved back to Nevada City on her birthday, 2006 where they officially began retirement. Their RVs took them to Spring Training in Arizona, their courting grounds near the Big Horn Mountains and many destinations throughout the Western States.

Sheralyn was an avid runner and cyclist competing in events around California. She also loved scuba diving and was famously attacked by a moray eel in Cancun where Larry guided her to the surface amongst a lot of blood which attracted huge groupers on the assent. She enjoyed international travel visiting Singapore, Finland, Denmark, Mexico, SE Asia, Vietnam, and Costa Rica. She loved animals, especially their many border collies, Mindy, Mitch, Etchamendi, Lena, Patches, and her last dog Banjo, an Aussie named after the Australian poet. She was a passionate volunteer at the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce.

Sheralyn is survived by her husband of 62 years, Larry and sons Brad and Scott (Andy) and three grandchildren, Cody Powell, Tanner Tasman, and Galena Marie (dual citizens of New Zealand and the US), her brother Bob (Jill) and sister Peggy (Nick).

A celebration gathering will be held Monday 24 April at Miners Foundry, Nevada City with mingling from 5 pm and storytelling from 6 pm. Hors d’oeuvres and a no host bar will be available.

If you plan to join us, please email Brad Ilg with number of attendees at your earliest convenience msilgcelebration@gmail.com