Mrs. Cynthia “Cindy” Cherry, 69, of Readyville passed away on September 8, 2024. She was born in Chester County, Tennessee on February 3, 1955. She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph William Brower and Mary Nell McCall Brower
She is survived by her husband, Michael “Mike” Cherry of Readyville, two sons, Zachary Cherry of Readyville and Jason Cherry of Woodbridge, VA, a daughter, Allyson (Jeff) Neal of Christiana, three brothers, Mac Brower and Brad (Peggy) Brower both of Jacks Creek, TN and Danny Record of Henderson, TN, six grandchildren, Micah Cherry, Tommy Cherry, Rebecca Cherry, Lydia Cherry, Cadence Neal and Addison Neal, brothers-in-law, Johnny Cherry of St. George, UT and Phil Cherry of Murfreesboro, several nieces and nephews, as well as her special Shih tzu dogs, Baby and Raschal.
It seemed preordained that she would live on a farm for the majority of her life. Growing up in rural West Tennessee near the community known as Jacks Creek, her parents had a farm where they raised cattle, hogs, and cotton. Being the youngest of her family and the only girl didn’t make her immune to hard work, not that she would have shied away from it. On the contrary, she must have longed for it and thrived on it. Because later in life that tradition continued when she and Mike set up housekeeping on Locke Creek with a 75-acre farm of their own.
Living in a rural community had its share of pluses and minuses. One of the pluses was getting to know people around you well and their family. As it so happened she lived near Mike’s grandparents and his cousin was dating her brother. This connection opened the door for Mike and Cindy to meet and strike up a relationship that blossomed into a family and 51-year marriage. Starting out Mike had a job working in the nuclear energy field that allowed them to live in different parts of the country. One of the favorite places they lived was in Montana. While they didn’t travel far from home, they did get to see some of the most beautiful sites in the country like Yellowstone.
When Mike was at work bringing home the bacon, Cindy busied herself taking care of their family and home. In true southern tradition she had a treasured collection of recipes handed down to raise her family with. They were blessed with her excellent cooking abilities and chowed down on some of the best brisket you ever tasted. She knew how to make the downhome staples of pinto beans, corn bread and turnip greens as good as anyone.
In school she took to the basketball court to have a little fun. Her interest in basketball carried on well past school. She enjoyed sitting down to watch the Southern Illinois High School Basketball tournaments. One of her favorite basketball players was Larry Bird, when he was playing for the Boston Celtics. When the children were growing up, they were encouraged to be active in sports and she made sure to never miss a game.
The farm life kept calling to her and Mike. He found a steal of a deal on their little slice of heaven on Locke Creek. When they bought it, there was the beginning of a home already there. Mike recruited her as his “apprentice” helper, and they set about turning it into a home and cattle farm. They were able to find a hearty newer breed of cattle, the Beef Master, and began raising them to sell. You can only imagine with a name like this what she could do with some of that brisket. Working on the house and raising cattle weren’t her only interests on the farm. Flower and vegetable gardening took up a significant portion of her time.
Even though it seemed family and farming would have taken up all her time. She knew the importance of working on a relationship with God too. During their time living around the country, she placed her faith and hope in the strength of the Lord. She and Mike were baptized at the Fort Collins Church of Christ. Having this foundation helped them overcome the ups and downs we are all prone to have. It allowed them to stay strong and achieve the 51years of marriage most of us can only hope to see.
A visitation will be held at Gentry-Smith Funeral Home on Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 8-10 am. Funeral services will follow in the Gentry-Smith Funeral Home chapel at 10 am. Her brother-in-law, Johnny Cherry will officiate. Interment will be in Cherry Cemetery. Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337. Because every life has a story.
