Sharyl Jean Birdwell passed at her home on Sunday, March 2, 2025, surrounded by family and friends. Sharyl fought a long hard battle of MDS with an amazing amount of courage and strength.

Born to Ted and Ruby Walters on May 13, 1946, she later attended school in Beatrice, NE. She married first husband Michael Hess on July 3, 1963, and they had four wonderful children together and later divorced but remained friends.

She attended Southeast Community College in Beatrice, NE and became a legal secretary for legal services. She then worked at a top law firm in Lincoln, NE for several years.

Later, she met her soul mate Raymond Birdwell and moved to Cookeville, TN. They shared 22 years of marriage and made wonderful memories before he passed. She was a legal secretary for a prominent law firm in Cookeville then made the decision to work at TN Tech for the electrical and computer engineering department. She touched the hearts of all the students and professors before retiring because of health conditions.

Sharyl enjoyed crafts, painting, planting flowers and yard work. The thing she loved the most was her family. She adored her children, but her love grew stronger with each grandchild and great grandchildren.

Sharyl is preceded in death by her parents: Ruby and Ted Walters; husband: Raymond Birdwell; first husband: Michael Hess; son: Rodney Hess; brothers: Verlyn Walters and Bradley Pelham; sister and brother-in-law: Connie and Bruce Meints; nephew: Adam Wilken; cousins: Ilene Shoemaker and Dean Rains; and precious great granddaughter: Rose Hess.

Survivors include seven children: Rick Hess of Lincoln, NE, Randy (Patti) Hess of Lincoln, NE, Robyn (Bill) Powell of Flintville, TN, Rick (Kathy) Birdwell of Conden, MT, Ron (Dee) Birdwell of Lincoln, NE, Vicky Birdwell of Lincoln, NE, and daughter by choice: Jennifer (Justin) Retchless of Wilber, NE; thirteen grandchildren: Nicholas (Angie) Jeffs, Christopher (Brittany) Roberts, Megan Estes, Derek (Miranda) Hess, Jake (Kayla) Hess, Amber Massa, Whitney Kuhlen, Zach (Laura) Birdwell, Rickey Birdwell, Caile Birdwell, Corey Jones, Nicole Jones, and Christy Jones; ten great grandchildren: Nicholas Jr., Evah, Parker, Lucas, Wyatt, Jack, Lucas, Alivia, Hazel, and King; one sister: Nancy Wilken of Lincoln, NE; special lifelong friends: Marla Sailor, JoDee Woods, Edie Wilson and Dorothy Retchless; and special family friends: Tyler Tardiff and Matt Hanshaw.