Ilse Sherwood

Ilse Annamarie Sherwood

July 11, 1926 - July 20, 2025

Brave. Independent. Humble. Feisty. Funny. Outspoken. Adaptable. Grateful. Intriguing. Tough. Loving. Curious.

Nine days after celebrating her 99th birthday, Ilse Sherwood died in her sleep July 20th. She left our world exactly as she hoped, joining the afterlife with her husband, Lawrence (Larry), who had passed on in 2013. Ilse is survived by her three sons, Larry, Byron and Glenn along with their families including 12 grandchildren. Tamra, her first granddaughter, preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her father, Adolf Bosshardt; her mother, Maria Himbssl; and her only sibling, a brother, Heinz Bosshard.

Ilse was raised in Switzerland and Austria. She learned to be independent at a very young age when her parents divorced and her mother was working to support them. She often mentioned she raised herself, spending much of her childhood alone.

Ilse always said her life began when she met her future husband in Linz, Austria after World War II. He had been assigned duty in her birth city as an US Army investigator when they met for a life-long romance. Their idyllic family soon was established in Ogden where she moved with their first child to await her new husband’s Army discharge. Ilse spoke no English at this point. She was among strangers. She spoke German even though she was Austrian. The US had been at war with Germany, so her language did not encourage quick acceptance. All the stores were unfamiliar. The foods were different. The very sounds and sights of Ogden were other-worldly. But soon she began to adapt to her new home. She taught herself English by reading and rereading “Gone with the Wind”, using an English to German dictionary. Later she would quip that she probably should not have chosen a book comprised of phonetically spelled words and phrases about the Deep South!

She spoke English with a charming accent. If she was emphatic about something, good or bad, she had a habit of making a unique sound like a grunt, growl, cough and a throat clearing that came as “OUHK!” If you heard that you wanted to pay attention!

After the births of her second and third sons, Ilse asserted her independence by becoming a very successful Avon Representative. This part-time vocation added to the family income stream, broadened her social circle and blossomed her self-confidence. She had fully integrated into her American Dream. She continued faithfully selling Avon for 56 years, ending only when she entered Assisted Living at 97 years of age.

On December 13, 1984, Ilse and Larry were sealed in the Ogden Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She would now be bound for eternity with her husband.

During her later years, Ilse would often travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where she enjoyed weeks at her daughter-in-law’s ocean front condominium. This was a place she could sit on a shaded balcony and people-watch. She often thought out loud as she watched all the activities…. using binoculars. Her curiosity was endless as were her questions, comments and opinions about the diverse people on the beach. “OUHK! Is that a man wearing a woman’s cover-up?” “OUHK!! That lady is too fat to wear a bikini!” “Is anyone keeping an eye on that little kid?” “When does the tide go out?” “What are those little twinkly lights on the beach?” “How big is this bay?” “Is that a star or a satellite?” “Pitbulls are mean!” Google was able to answer some of her questions. Glenn made up the rest of the answers!

She was the heart of the Sherwood family. She provided New Year’s luncheons, Sunday dinners, birthday dinners, and treats from her Avon closet. She taught us how to cook her traditional Austrian dinners. She loved to travel. Larry and she would travel to Las Vegas for “get-away” weekends. She didn’t really care about the destination; she just wanted to be on the go. Her energy wore out even her grandchildren on Disney Land trips where it was a must to open and close the Park. She loved rollercoasters. She was able to show all three of her sons Linz, Austria, the places she grew up and where she and Larry met. She loved to “haggle” at the Flea Markets in the Linz town square.

Ilse was a fascinating person even though she could never understand why anyone would think so. We will miss her.

Ilse’s Funeral will be held Tuesday July 29th at Myers Mortuary in Ogden, Utah. There will be a family reception (closed casket) line from 10-11 a.m. and the funeral service begins at 11:00 a.m. The Internment will immediately follow at Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch.