GALLERY: Public bids farewell to former sheriff Sharon Wehrly
Hundreds of mourners lined Highway 372 and East Street during former Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly’s public memorial service on Friday, Jan. 5.
Wehrly, 79, died on Dec. 14, following a prolonged battle with cancer, which she publicly announced in August 2021.
Among those in attendance for the service at the Pahrump Nugget Event Center were family members, dozens of local public officials and honor guards from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Following the service, Wehrly’s coffin was transported by a horse-drawn carriage to Chief Tecopa Cemetery for interment just a short distance away on East Street, where pastor Austin Drake, of Pahrump spoke about her legacy and dedication to public service.
A riderless horse followed the procession representing Wehrly’s love and admiration for animals.
Nye County Sheriff’s Office Sgt./Det. Cory Fowles told the Pahrump Valley Times that he first met Wehrly roughly 12 years ago when she began working in the Nye County District Attorney’s Office as an investigator.
“She dedicated herself to helping people right up until her last day,” Fowles said. “She will be remembered as a selfless person who worked right up until her last day to help people and serve the public. I know she enjoyed what she did and she was very good at it.”
Fowles spoke about Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services’ participation in the funeral procession, where tower and ladder apparatus trucks formed an arch displaying the American flag along Highway 372.
“It was very apt and deserving,” he said. “For decades and decades, she served her community and her country with distinction and I think it was a very deserving tribute.”
Wehrly, who served as Nye County sheriff from 2014 to 2022, leaves behind a beloved family, including her two sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com, or X, formerly Twitter: @pvtimes.
