Sharon Barger, 78

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”   from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Sharon Barger, who loved these words, passed away on July 22, 2024, following complications from surgery.

Born Sharon Elaine Heuerman on Jan. 3, 1946, in Oregon, Ill., she spent her childhood under the loving guidance of her parents Ailt and Lila. She was the middle of five siblings, all of whom remember a life where a good work ethic and compassion for others were important.

Sharon attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and later transferred to Northern Illinois University, where she earned her degree in English and French. She began her lifelong passion, teaching, at Woodstock High School in the spring of 1968.Through her 40 years there she taught French and English, was scheduling coordinator, and spent many years as advisor of the high school yearbook. Her rigorous standards were legendary, and many students still  remember her love of language, insistence on the importance of clear, grammatically correct writing, and the joy of good literature.

Her colleagues respected her “tough love” and knew that she always had the best interest of the students in mind.

It was at Woodstock High School that Sharon met fellow teacher Billy Barger. They married  on Sept. 12, 1970 and soon moved to a house on Stieg Road. It was this home where many people enjoyed the Barger hospitality: afternoons on the screened porch, end-of-the-year staff parties, birthday gatherings, English Department “meetings,” family occasions, and countless summer days by the pool, where Sharon taught many children how to swim.

But most of all this home meant family. Here Sharon and BilI lived their life together, building the shop, tending (Bill) and enjoying (Sharon) the garden, planning their many camping trips and various trips to Europe, and enjoying each other’s company in their own special way. Here they welcomed Bill’s daughter Betsy into their home and hearts when she moved to Woodstock, and here they grieved together when she died in 1996.

Here Sharon was grandma to Betsy’s children, Jennifer and Kate. Winter fires, party packs of Taco Bell,  sleepovers, watching scary movies, splashing in the pool, and sitting on the porch watching “Survivor” all made this a special place filled with love.This grandmotherly love extended to her great-grandchildren, who were beneficiaries of the same care and guidance.

Sharon touched the lives of many, some of whom preceded her in death: husband Billy, daughter Betsy Ciskowski, and sister Anne Jones; and some who carry on her legacy: granddaughters,  Jennifer Prichard (Zachary) Miller of Crystal Lake and Kate Prichard (Jake) Homuth of Woodstock; great grandchildren , Finn Rypkema and Kinzie, Palmer, and Nyxon Miller; sisters, Wyonne (James) Hegland of St. Charles, Christine (Bob) Johnson of Brooklyn, Wis., and Sheila (Tom) Humble of Deland, Florida; brother Richard (Phyllis) Heuerman of Stillman Valley, several nieces and nephews, and many who knew her as Grandma Barger, teacher, and friend.

Sharon’s life will be celebrated at 11am on Saturday, September 7 at Oakland Cemetery in Woodstock. There will be additional information provided for a gathering following the graveside service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the French Honor Society scholarship in Sharon Barger’s name. Please send donations to Woodstock High School, c/o Morayma Zerla, 501 W South St, Woodstock, IL 60098.

Arrangements entrusted to Querhammer & Flagg Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made at www.querhammerandflagg.com.