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Cheryl Lynn Smith, 63

Cheryl Lynn Smith, 63, died at her Marsing, Idaho, home with her family by her side after a long struggle with COPD.

Cheryl was born in Waukegan, Ill., to Jack and Yvonne Mabrey. When Cheryl was 5, the family moved to Spokane, Wash., to Yvonne’s childhood home. Cheryl was the middle child of five children. Their family bond was strong, especially among the children who were all born in a six-year time span. In 1970, the family moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where Cheryl would graduate from high school in 1973. She attended North Idaho College for two years, taking home economic classes. She then moved to Pocatello, Idaho, to attend a vocational tech program at Idaho State University. She received her certification in graphic art, but more importantly, she met the love of her life, Kevin. They moved to Kevin’s hometown of Marsing where they married and raised their family.

Cheryl and Kevin welcomed their first born, Jessica, in 1978, followed by two sons, Chad and Brian, soon after. Besides their three children, they always had a handful of dogs that were just as much a part of the family. A good game of pinochle was a typical pastime among the family or with some of their many good friends.

Cheryl always looked forward to traveling back up north to visit her family and enjoy the beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene. Growing up, her family had a lake cabin and a boat, so most of their summers were spent recreating on the lake. There was no other life like “lake life” for Cheryl.

Cheryl was renowned for her crocheting skills and she had quite an artistic side to her. She loved music and started playing the piano in grade school. With not a lot of money to work with, her creative side kicked in when it came time to decorate for the holidays and making costumes for her kids. When it came to the kitchen, though, her college didn’t pay off as she was known to burn bacon.

No matter what you would do with Cheryl, she always made it fun with her playful sense of humor. Her siblings thought of dinner time as boring if Cheryl didn’t make it.

There were many fond memories made with Kevin and their motorcycle buddies. It was always an adventure traveling to different parts of Idaho for the motorcycle rodeos.

Cheryl stayed home with her children, but once they were in school, she took a job as a clerk at Circle K. She moved up from there to store manager and then to corporate auditor. The demands on her body and the travel were too much, so she found work closer to home at the Snake River Mart, where she found many friends in the community.

Cheryl’s grandchildren were her greatest joy. She was blessed with six grandbabies in five years. She hit the “jackpot!” If she wasn’t spending time with them, you could probably find her at the casino with her sisters.

Cheryl is survived by her husband, Kevin Smith; her mother-in-law, Zola Smith; her daughter, Jessica (Nick) Shanley; her son, Chad (Mary) Smith; her son, Brian (Carolina) Smith; and her grandchildren, Reed, Devin and Sloan Shanley, and Kyndal, Hadley and Naomi Smith. She also leaves behind her sisters; Mary Jayne Johnson, Sue Thompson and Jackie Mabrey; her brother, Keith (Gailene) Mabrey; and her sisters-in-law, Myrna Keyes, Cindy McDonnell and Angela Younger; and lots of very loved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her father-in-law, Garland Smith.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 15, 2019, at Zeyer Funeral Chapel, 83 N. Midland Boulevard, Nampa, Idaho. Followed by a graveside service at 1 p.m. at the Marsing-Homedale Cemetery. A reception will immediately follow at The Spot, 12 Sandbar Ave., Marsing.