T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY — Judge Sharon Greer’s family help her don her robe for the first time as an Iowa Court of Appeals judge Friday in the Iowa House chamber in Des Moines. From left, Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer, Kate Greer, Sharon Greer and Erin Greer.

After nearly 37 years of making her case before judges, Iowa Court of Appeals Judge Sharon Soorholtz Greer of Marshalltown is now on the bench herself.

Before family, colleagues and friends, Greer was sworn in by Gov. Kim Reynolds Friday as the newest judge on the Iowa Court of Appeals.

The ceremony took place in the ornate Iowa House Chamber in the Iowa State Capitol Building.

Immediately after the swearing-in, daughters Kate Greer of San Francisco, Calif. and Erin Greer of Austin, Texas, helped their mother put on her judge’s robe in a traditional. ceremony.

“Gov. Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Gregg, I will work hard every day to justify the faith you have placed in me,” Greer said in her remarks.

Retired Judge Michael Moon as guest speaker for Greer, credited her late parents John and Barbara for instilling tenacity and hard work among other attributes in their daughter which made her appointed by Reynolds possible.

“I wish your late parents could be here to see you today,” Moon said. “They would have been so proud.”

As a demonstration of her courage and tenacity, Mood said Greer liked wrestling and was not afraid to take-on boys.

She pinned three from a neighboring farm.

Those boys later went on to wrestle in high school and win state championships.

“One day the West Marshall High School wrestling coach could not get the heavyweight wrestler motivated to do his very best,” Moon said. “He noticed Sharon over with her fellow cheerleaders practicing. He called her over and asked her to take on the heavyweight.

When he stopped the match Sharon was still wrestling … she had not lost.”

Moon was a partner with Greer in the same law firm before Moon’s appointment as judge.

Greer grew up on the family farm with four sisters in the Melbourne area and went on to West Marshall High School and Iowa State University.

She graduated from Iowa Law School in 1982 and was hired as an associate with the Greer, Nelson, Montgomery, Barry & Boveee firm in Spencer.

In 1996, she and husband Joel joined Cartwright, Druker and Ryden in Marshalltown.

She became partner in 1993.

Greer said she will miss working with her former colleagues at Cartwright, Druker & Ryden, but said she is thrilled with the opportunity and challenge the new position offers.

Greer joined a growing list of other Marshalltown attorneys who were appointed judges in recent years.

They are Paul Crawford, Beth Currie, James Ellefson and John Haney.

However, Greer’s position is the highest in stature.

After closing out cases at Cartwright, Druker & Ryden, Greer will begin her duties with the Court of Appeals later this month. She fills the vacancy that was created when Gov. Reynolds appointed Justice Christopher McDonald to the Iowa Supreme Court earlier this year.

Reynolds had also appointed Judge David May, of Polk City to the Court of Appeals.

May previously served as a district court judge in Judicial Election District 5C, and previously practiced law with Bradshaw, Fowler, Proctor, & Fairgrave, P.C. in Des Moines. May fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David Danilson.

May was sworn-in by Reynolds in the Iowa House Chamber only minutes before Greer.