Sherilyn Sue Anderson died at her home in Ringgold, Georgia, on August 17,2008, at age 60 after a 14-month battle with cancer.
She was born in Burke, South Dakota, on November 16, 1947, the second daughter of Lenard and Betty Mayer. After finishing high school at Burke in 1966, she attended Southern State College in Springfield, South Dakota, getting a bachelor's degree in education.
She began a career in teaching at the one-room Rembrandt School in Gregory County, S.D., and later taught elementary school at Tabor, S.D., from August 1970 until 1971 when she became engaged to her pastor's son, Arthur Anderson.
Married December 24, 1971 at Burke, they immediately moved to Austin, Tx., where Art was finishing work on his master's degree.
She taught one year in La Grange, Tx., before moving to Hochdahl, Germany, in July, 1973, where her husband taught in a German public school for a year. After the year was up they returned to Texas, settling in Angleton, and later in Lake Jackson, Tx. During this time two children were born and Sheri resumed her teaching career, first teaching at Brazosport Christian School from 1982 to 1985, and then in the Brazosport Independent School District from 1985 to 1997, where she was a Kindergarten teacher.
In 1997 she went to work for the Windham School District, teaching prisoners in the Texas Department of Corrections how to read and write until her retirement in 2004, when she and Art moved to the Chattanooga, area, where their two children and two grandchildren lived.
Sheri was known as a warm, loving, caring Christian woman. She made it a life-long practice to get up as early as four in the morning to devote an hour to Bible reading and prayer before beginning her day. Committing her life to Christ as a little child she modeled the Christian life by her actions and her total devotion to her Savior. Her greatest joy in life was to see someone saved and brought into the family of God.
She enjoyed teaching Sunday School and singing in the choir in the churches she attended. She was a member of Oakwood Baptist Church in Chickamauga, Georgia. She loved her grandchildren and enjoyed playing with them. Ambitious and energetic she spent many happy hours preparing healthy meals in her kitchen.
Three words or phrases that best describe her are that she was nurturing, generous, and had a servant's heart.
Sherilyn was preceded in death by her Mother, Betty, and brother-in-law, Robert Kenaston.
She is survived by her husband, Art, of 36 years and two children,
Jonathan Anderson and wife, Kimberly, of Ringgold, Ga., and daughter, Alison Stephens, and husband, Elijah, of Chattanooga. In addition to her children, she is survived by two grandchildren, Sierrah and Caden Anderson of Ringgold, Ga.; her father, Lenard Mayer of Burke, S.D., and five siblings, Karen Wearne, and husband, Richard, of Vermillion, S.D.; Joyce Kenaston of Aurora, Co.; Becky Teel and husband, Clyde, of Sioux Falls, S.D.; Linda Tietgen and husband, Richard, of Burke, S.D.; and Steven Mayer and wife, Lisa, of Burke, S.D. In addition to her siblings, Sheri is also survived by numerous nephews, nieces, and many good friends.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the chapel with Rev. Clyde Teel and Rev. Elijah Stephens officiating. Interment will be at Anderson Memorial Gardens in Ringgold.
Memorials may be made to one of the following: Hutcheson Hospice, 100 Mitchell Road, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. 30742, or to CaringBridge, 1995 Rahn Cliff Court, Suite 200, Eagan, Mn. 55122.
Visit www.heritagefh.com to view memorial tribute and share condolences.
The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. on Friday at Heritage Funeral Home and Crematory, Battlefield Parkway.