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Sherri Lynn (Gregg) James

After years of chronic health issues, Sherri Lynn (Gregg) James passed away from liver failure due to lupus, at Hospice House of North Idaho in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Feb. 8, 2018.

Born in Coeur d’Alene on Feb. 20, 1961, to Frank W. (Bill) Gregg and Darlene LaRae (Thompson) Gregg, Sherri was raised in Post Falls, Idaho, and attended Frederick Post Elementary and graduated from Post Falls High School in 1979. After graduation, Sherri entered the North Idaho College Forestry Technology program.

Her work career started at the Post Falls A&W at the age of 14. During her college days, she worked at a couple other local eateries, including one where she had to ride her bike home under the falling ash of Mount St. Helens. She worked out of the Coeur d’Alene Ranger Station on the trail construction team in the summer of 1981. The first trail she worked on is now the beautiful trail overlooking Beauty Bay. Over the next few years, she worked on the Avery Timber Crew and as a cook in the Marble Creek Lodge.

It was during this time that she met the love of her life, Lary James. They were married on Sept. 22, 1984. They lived in Kingston, Idaho, from 1984 to 1992, and had a daughter, Danielle Rae James, in January of 1988.

From Kingston they followed two of her siblings to Kenai, Alaska. There, Sherri worked at Carr’s Quality Center for more than seven years as a cashier and running the store’s PhotoShop. From there she went to Lowe’s and then became a C.N.A., working at Frontier Community Services in Soldotna, Alaska, a career she wished she would have entered earlier.

Sherri loved Alaska as much as her home Idaho. She was struck by the grandeur of the mountains, fjords, glaciers, wildlife, aurora borealis and the people of Alaska, and made many good friends there. She liked to collect Precious Moments figurines, decorative pins and anything to do with eagles.

Time brought Sherri a number of chronic illnesses, including lupus, which led to her going on disability in 2011. In 2013 they moved back to Idaho.

Sherri leaves behind a husband, Lary; daughter, Danielle; sons, Kevin (Shelli) James and Keith (Heather) James; siblings, Annette Guenther, Sue (Dave) Walker and Bill (Melody) Gregg; and grandchildren, Jarek, Jory, Cody and Hayden; and numerous nieces; nephews and cousins.

Sherri expressed thanks to her caregivers, both family and professional, for making her comfortable in her last weeks.

There will be a celebration of life at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, at 2209 N. 12th St. in Coeur d’Alene. To honor and amuse Sherri, please wear bright colors (no black allowed) and bring your favorite memory of Sherri. In her memory, we will have a tie-dye station so that you can make a keepsake of her life. Please bring something you wish to dye; shirt, dress, hanky, tablecloth, fabric bag, socks, baby onesie or whatever, we will provide the rest! For directions or questions please call Sue at 208-755-4063.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or Hospice House of North Idaho.