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April 12, 2023 “Penny” Rae Sheley, 78

Funeral Services for Penny Sheley will be held Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 10:30 AM at the Hopkins Christian Church. Interment will follow at Hopkins Cemetery. Memorials may be directed towards the family to be established in her honor. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.cummings-familyfuneralhome.com under Obituaries.
Penelope “Penny” Rae Sheley, 78, passed away April 8, 2023. Penny was born in Iowa City, Iowa on December 31, 1944 to Jim and Betty Winget. She was raised by her Grandma, Maude Kreps, in rural Sheridan and in Hopkins, Missouri. She attended all of her school years in Hopkins.
Penny recently told of her most fond memory when she had the entire family over for dinner at her home in Lenox. In 1959, she met a dashing military man, Paul Lewis. Her first thought was that he was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. They fell in love almost immediately after he asked her to “scoop the loop” that evening. They united in marriage August 4, 1961. They had 4 children together, Jeannie, Paula, Lena and Paul Jr. (Jack.) Their home was a farm on JJ west of rural Hopkins until Paul lost his battle with leukemia in August of 1974. A few years later, Penny met and fell in love with Ed Sheley of Bedford, Iowa. They were married on December 20, 1980. Their family merged and she gained 2 step-sons, Rick and Randy. To this marriage, Vickie and Jesse were born. They all lived in rural Bedford until Ed’s untimely passing of a massive heart attack in July of 1985.
Over the years you could find Penny enjoying a lot of outdoor activities and you’d almost never see her without at least a carload of kids! She loved camping, farming, fishing, gardening and enjoyed several trips to the Adams County Speedway with special friend, Ermal Parrot. She loved going to the casinos with her girls. Her Aunt Alice Cross and sister Donna Riley were often with her on these trips. One time they even got Luke Ramsey to fire up his party bus to take them. Lots of memories were made and they all heckled Luke for taking home the highest winnings that day. In January of 2023, she made her bucket list trip with Jesse, Abbee, and Cindy to Las Vegas. Not only did she get to pull some handles on machines, she also took in the Al Capone museum, something she said she didn’t even think would be fun but she loved it. There weren’t many times the last several years that you wouldn’t see Penny without her dog Buddy, that little dog went everywhere she went.
If you knew Penny at all, you know that you were aware of where you stood with her. She was a no B.S. kind of person. She’d tell ya….”I’m going to tell you what I think and you may not like it but here it is.” This world needs more of that.
She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, two husbands, and two sisters, Donna Riley and Nancy Savage. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Jeannie Casteel of Lenox, Iowa, Paula (Tom) Borland of Lenox, Iowa, Lena (Hank) Larson of Bedford, Iowa, Jack (Jessica) Lewis of Bedford, Iowa Vickie Sheley (JL) of Johnston, Nebraska, Jesse (Abbee) Sheley of Lenox, Iowa, Rick (Marla) Sheley of Bedford, Iowa and Randy (Jan) Sheley of Bedford, Iowa, along with several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one brother, Terry Winget.

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