March 29, 2024

Sherry Taylor

West Des Moines

Sherry L. Taylor, 74, of West Des Moines, formerly of Creston, entered eternal rest Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, at Taylor Hospice House in Des Moines.

A celebration of life service will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, followed by a meal, at Crest Baptist Church, 1211 N. Poplar St., Creston. The Rev. Charles Spindler will officiate. Visitation will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday before the service. Private burial will be at Graceland Cemetery at a later date. Family will also receive friends from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, at Edgewater Retirement Community, 9225 Cascade Ave., West Des Moines.

In lieu of flowers, memorials will be established to the Sherry L. Taylor Teacher Grant Program or the Union County Fair Building Fund. The Teacher Grant Program is established to provide financial support to teachers of Union and Ringgold counties in developing new and innovative instructional classroom ideas. Sherry was very involved in 4-H with all four children and was excited for the Union County Fair improvements. Online condolences may be given under the obituary category at www.powersfh.com

Sherry Lois Diann Gibson was born Dec. 24, 1942, to Lois Mona (Clayton) Gibson and LaVon Morris Gibson in Sheldon. Sherry graduated from Creston High School in 1961. On Sept. 26, 1961, she married Terry V. Taylor in Creston. They lived and farmed south of Creston until moving to Creston in 1991.

Sherry always loved learning and reading, and had an opportunity to go to college in the early 80s, graduating from Southwestern Community College in 1985. She continued at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, graduating magna cum laude in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in education. Her teaching career began with first and second grades in Clearfield and Diagonal. Sherry then taught in Red Oak, Osceola and at St. Malachy. While teaching locally, she continued her education with a Master of Education from Viterbo University. Toward the end of her career, she worked with children who needed extra help reading and worked with many dyslexic children. After “retiring,” she continued to substitute teach in the local school systems. When Terry passed and her memory health started to decline, she moved to Edgewater, a senior living community in West Des Moines.

Sherry dedicated much of her time helping with teen activities in the community (Sunday school, FFA, sports, music and the arts). She was always interested in trying new crafts/hobbies and would frequently enroll in community education classes to try a new project. She loved to try new recipes for cooking and baking.

Sherry is survived by her four children T. Vincent (Cindy) of rural Creston (Allison and Alec Smith), Russell (Tracy) of Rock Hill, South Carolina (Rebecca, Allison and Kate), Barbara Phillips (Todd) of Van Meter (Graham and Bryce), and Michael (Lindsay) of Adel (Payton, Sawyer and Madison); brother, Jerry Gibson (Diane) of Coralville and sister, Sandra Lunsford of Fort Collins, Colorado. She also leaves to mourn her death sisters-in-law Beth Ferguson of Oregon, Willie Taylor of Ankeny, Dawn Taylor of Des Moines and Bonnie Taylor of Urbandale, and many nieces and nephews.

Sherry was preceded in death by her parents, Lois and LaVon; husband, Terry, in 2008; in-laws, Alice (2013) and Vernon “Benny” Taylor (2003); sister, Rosamary (2010) and brothers-in-law, Jack Taylor (2006) and Ben Taylor (2012).

The family would like to thank the staff at Methodist Hospital, Taylor Hospice House as well as all the wonderful staff at Edgewater Retirement Community.