Sharon Lee Cason Chatham Rogers Harmon, was born January 6, 1937. She passed away peacefully December 21, 2023. Sharon was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, daughter of Harold Edward Cason and Ualdene Laverla Cason (nee Allen).She grew up in St. Joseph then moved to Kansas City after marrying her high school sweetheart, Wayne Arthur Chatham, Sr., on May 17, 1955, and was a woman of many talents. At Benton High School she was a majorette with the marching band, as well as a member of a singing quartet with her best friends. She began piano at an early age and grew into an accomplished pianist, even recording an album as a teen. Playing hymns on the organ and piano at her childhood church, King Hill Christian Church, as well as all the churches she belonged to over the years, brought her great joy. Even with her progressing dementia in recent years, her fingers never forgot how to play the piano and she thrilled everyone with her classical pieces, hymns, Christmas music, show tunes, and more. She played Bumble Boogie by B. Bumble and the Stingers like it was no one’s business, and her children asked her to play this again and again throughout the years. And Elvis. She loved Elvis. Elvis was an integral part of our lives growing up. She was given an Elvis cookie jar one Christmas and it has remained in a prominent place for many years and moved with her as she downsized. There was non-stop music in our home growing up…piano, drums, trumpet, radio, record players throughout the house, even the 8 track player in the old green 69 Dodge van (we probably wore out the 8 track of Crystal Blue Persuasion from Tommy James and the Shondells). She loved to travel and visited places such as Hawaii, Mexico, France, Germany, and many states throughout the U.S. Even as a young family on a very limited budget, mom literally had a shoebox for travel money. She saved up enough for us to go to Hawaii one Christmas.
Sharon is survived by her 4 children Wayne Arthur Chatham, Jr. (Nanette Modis), Robert Dale Chatham (Susan Crown), Brenda Kay Chatham, Sheila Suzanne Jakobe (Brian Jakobe), her brother Richard Allen Cason (Helen Cason), niece Rikki Cason Weller, nephew Edward Cason, and grandchildren: Dallas Chatham, Kali Chatham Dougherty, Troy Chatham, Britney Keller, Brandon Keller, and Brooke Jakobe. Great grandchildren: Juniper Chatham, Benjamin Chatham, Katie Keller, Olivia Chatham, Kennedy Dougherty, Kinsley Keller, and baby boy Keller arriving into this world any day now.
Sharon is preceded in death by her husbands who all served in the U.S. Armed Forces: Wayne Arthur Chatham, Sr. (Army), Donald Denton Rogers (Navy), and Claude Taylor Harmon (Air Force).
A visitation will be held from 1-2 PM, service 2 PM, with burial to follow, on Tuesday, December 26 at Floral Hills Funeral Home and Cemetery, 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City, MO.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making contributions in memory of Sharon Harmon to the Dementia Society of America by mail to PO Box 600, Doylestown, PA 18901, or online www.DementiaSociety.org/donate.”
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