Sharon Cromwell

Obituary of Sharon Lee Cromwell

Sharon Lee (Ervin) Cromwell, passed away at the age of 80 years old at her home in the Twin Lakes area of Federal Way, Washington on 15 December 2022 with her family at her bedside. She was afflicted with diabetes, end stage renal disease and was on dialysis with a recent bout of the flu. She was recently placed with Continuum Care Hospice.

On June 14, 1942, Sharon was born in Wapato, Yakima County, WA to John Emerson Ervin Sr and Helen Niamy Woitt. Sharon was the third child of John and Helen’s marriage. Her siblings were Rose, Clifford (Butch), Marvin (Mickey), Beverly and Lenard (Sonny). John Sr. later married Lulla S. Gronau which added sibling John Jr. Helen would marry Lenard Ashby which added siblings Troy, Richard, Marion, Jerry, Charlene, Wilda and Mark.

Sharon was raised in Wapato and Yakima, Washington. Attended schools in Wapato from Kindergarten to High School but didn’t finish right away. Sharon was later encouraged by her mother-in-law, Letha May Cromwell (Boyer) to obtain her GED. Sharon worked as a Kelly girl and our family was one of the first in the West Seattle neighborhood to have Westinghouse cable TV. As a seamstress, Sharon did work at home for private individuals and family members and later on for a golf themed company on Vashon. Like many who lived on Vashon Island, Sharon worked for K2 Ski Corporation for many years before changing careers. Her longest employment was for the Vashon School District where she was a school bus driver under Laidlaw (Teamsters) and a lunchroom worker. While working as a school bus driver she would often volunteer to do sport events, debate team trips, field trips, or other contracted bus jobs.

Married first to Wilbur “Bud” Seybold, that union produced three daughters; Linda, Deborah and Tammy before they divorced. As a single mother, living in Seattle, Sharon met Cecil Cromwell Sr. They were married on June 18, 1964, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and went fishing on their honeymoon. With a combined family they raised daughters: Linda, Deborah and Tammy and sons Cecil Jr., Daniel, David and Richard. They also had a daughter Elizabeth but she was stillborn. A combined union created 34 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, 10 step-great grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren, 1 step-great-great-grandchild.

From 1963 to 1975, Sharon and Cecil Sr. lived in West Seattle area near the Alaska Junction neighborhood. The Cromwell family then moved from West Seattle to

Vashon Island in 1975 so Daniel could start Kindergarten there. They stayed on Vashon Island for the next 43 years on “The Farm”. Fruit trees and chicken coops abound on the farm. They had a diverse assortment of fruit trees. Visitors to the farm could walk, talk and eat fruit from mom and dad’s trees. Mom made excellent homemade applesauce and apple crisp for all to enjoy. Due to Sharon and Cecil Sr.’s health issues they moved to the Twin Lakes area of Federal Way, Washington to be closer to their sons and daughters-in-law Cecil Jr. (Claudia) and Daniel (Krista) Cromwell as well as closer to Sharon’s dialysis center (DaVita) in Federal Way which she had been attending treatments at since 2014. It would be easier for family, friends, and church members to come visit them too. Grandson Joshua Hernandez-Cromwell lived with Cecil and Sharon and assisted Sharon in day-to-day care and household chores so they could remain at home in their final years.

Sharon and Cecil Sr. became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on October 18, 2005, and they were sealed in the Seattle Temple for time and all eternity on January 13, 2007. Hobbies and activities included hunting, fishing, cheering for the Seahawks, celebrations with family, word searches, solitaire, watching game shows, Hallmark Channel, Murder She Wrote, Family Feud, Walker Texas Ranger, BYU TV, reading Harlequin books, Mystery Books, True Detective books, Unsolved Mysteries, car rides with family, school bus garage and field trip stories, talking on the phone with family especially her mother, Lu.

Preceded in death by her biological parents; John Ervin Sr, Helen Woitt Ashby and her step-fathers Lenard Ashby and Nathan Greer, husbands; Wilbur “Bud” Seybold, Cecil Cromwell Sr., her siblings; Rose Weeks, Beverly Neal, John Ervin Jr., Jerry Ashby, Troy Ashby, Richard Ashby, Charlene, daughters Linda Dofelmire, Elizabeth Cromwell, sons-in-law Jerald Lofgren, and Donald Dofelmire, 2 great-granddaughters, and one great-grandson. Surviving Sharon are her mother Lulla (Gronau) Greer, daughters; Deborah Seybold, Tammy (Castulo) Brionez, sons; Cecil Jr. (Claudia) Cromwell, Daniel (Krista) Cromwell, David (April) Cromwell, and Richard (Bethany) Cromwell.

The Cromwell family would like to thank the Continuum Care Hospice team with assisting the family with end-of-life care and coming out at such short notice. Heartfelt thanks to the Relief Society and members of the Vashon Island Branch and Federal Way Hylebos Ward Members (Latter-Day Saints) who have come out

to assist mom and dad with moving, receiving blessings and assistance/transportation to dialysis.

Services will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday January 28, 2023, at the Hylebos LDS Ward at 34815 Weyerhaeuser Way South, Federal Way, Washington and 1:15pm on Monday January 30, 2023, at Tahoma National Cemetery 18600 SE 240th St, Kent, Washington. Interment will be at the Tahoma National Cemetery located in Kent, Washington, Edwards Memorial has arranged funeral services and cremation.