Cheryl Wilkinson

Cheryl Ann Wilkinson, 71, of Moses Lake, Washington passed away on November 13, 2015 following a three week hospitalization in Spokane resulting from a stroke. Cheryl was born December 30, 1943 in Payette, Idaho but lived most of her life in Moses Lake. Cheryl was known for her commitment to her family and her church. She delighted in the little things of life: wrapping up surprises to put under the Christmas tree, celebrating family birthdays, trying a new recipe, snuggling a baby, or spending time with her grandchildren. As a dedicated teacher, she inspired a love for reading and writing in hundreds of students until her retirement from Moses Lake Schools. Some of her grandchildren speak fondly of learning to read with their Grandma Cheryl. Cheryl was quick to offer a supportive ear if a friend or family member had a problem or concern. While she could not often solve the problems that came her way, she made your day better by caring and listening. She not only bestowed kindness on her family and friends but remembered to sincerely greet and thank each person that waited on her in a store or restaurant. Cheryl was perhaps the greatest bargain shopper in the state and was even known to return from vacations with her sister with her suitcase 30 pounds heavier as a result of the treasures she found on sale or the used books she discovered in a library bookstore. Her shopping style was, “If one is good, two, three, or ten may be so much better.” Cheryl was a collector: clowns, recipe books, t-shirts, photo albums, and in her younger years, stray animals. She once rescued a dog that was scheduled to be euthanized and used for a lab class. Not seeing that there was a place for this dog in the family home, her father took the dog to the pound. Cheryl promptly performed a second rescue of the dog, bailing him out of the pound with her own money. The dog went on to live out his natural days under Cheryl’s watchful eye, and she continued to have a love for dogs throughout her life. Cheryl was intelligent and loved to read. She began and ended every day studying her Bible and praying for her loved ones. Cheryl was a talented writer and loved teaching children to write. She even provided support to other teachers to enhance their capacity to teach writing effectively. While Cheryl never wrote a book herself, her life was a textbook of how to care for others and live with humility and integrity. Cheryl’s spark for life and her quiet support of others will be remembered every day by those who loved her. Cheryl is survived by her beloved husband of 50 years, Edward; three daughters, Chandra Lindberg, Kim Sackmann, and Jamie Wilkinson; her son, Thad Wilkinson; daughter-in-law, Jennie Wilkinson; and son-in-laws, Adam Sackmann and Michael Lindberg; sister, Deborah Fash; and treasured grandchildren, Jessica, Jennifer, Kristyna, James, Jason, Alayna, Kaillyn, Devan, Aiden, Blake, Tristan, Andy, Megan, and Katelin. Her extended family and friends are too numerous list, but are always held dear. Cheryl was preceded in death by her parents, Lloyd and Phoebe Schmid, her brother, Gary Schmid, and a child, Trish, who died at birth. Memorial Services will be held on Monday, November 23 at 1:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Soap Lake, 322 Division Street S., Soap Lake, Washington, 98851. Burial will precede the service at 11:00 a.m. at Guarding Angels Cemetery, 2595 Rd L NE, Moses Lake, WA 98837. In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Cheryl may be made to: Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center, pregnancywa.org or to Hospice of Spokane, P.O. Box 2215, Spokane, Washington 99210-2215.

Cheryl Wilkinson

December 30, 1943 - November 13, 2015