Cheri’s Obituary This is the story of Cheri (Belk) Martin. She was a woman with a gentle, loving spirit. She loved with her entire being.
She was quick to forgive and gave hugs and kisses freely. Cheri’s story starts on July 4, 1952, the child of her fun-loving parents, Bob and June Belk. She grew up in Freeport, Illinois.
At the age of ten, she was the model on the cover of the 70th anniversary issue of the Rawleigh Family Shopper, however, she would have liked to have remained anonymous. Her childhood was a home of love and laughter which included many fishing trips to Apple River and vacations to Tomahawk, Wisconsin. She graduated from Freeport High School in 1970.
After high school, she attended Highland Community College where she met one of her best friends, Pat Carey. During this time, she worked at Freeport Memorial Hospital and Micro Switch. She went on to study at Sangamon State University in Springfield, Illinois.
She enjoyed carpools home to Freeport, packing her friends into her red 1970 VW Bug. She graduated in 1975 with a degree in Child and Family Services. In 1976, Cheri was expecting a baby.
To her surprise and three months early, twins arrived, Jeromi (J.C.) and Angela (Ange). Soon after, Cheri moved back home to be closer to family. While working at Micro Switch, she was a single mom yet she smiled and laughed through the challenges.
And if someone asked about her kids, she would always say, “the twins were the best thing that ever happened to me”. Over the years, she was the definition of determination, faith, and perserverence while conquering the challenges of Multiple Sclerosis, mental illness, and COPD. Even on her most challenging days, she always had a smile to give, a hand to help, and not a single complaint.
She cherished the small things: sun tanning with baby oil, feeding her birds, a Diet Mountain Dew (with no ice), a good game of Spoons, a dog to pet, a grandchild to kiss, reading her devotions, a good James Taylor song, and her collection of rocks, plants, and drift wood. She loved traditions such as making her “Christmas chex mix” and calling family members to sing the entire “Happy Birthday” song. She loved apple pie and Reeses peanut butter cups.
And she had an exceptional “green thumb” and could rehab any type of plant. But above all, she loved time spent with her family. In 2004, she learned how to ride horses at Pegasus, a therapeutic horseback riding facility in Oregon, IL.
From the second she sat in the saddle, she was confident, carefree, and her movement was effortless. With the help of the instructors and volunteers, she reached goals that she never thought possible. The horses provided a freeing power that she experienced in no other place.
Cheri’s family will be forever grateful for the volunteers and instructors that touched her heart. Cheri also loved people: the people at Trinity United Methodist Church, her friends in the Multiple Sclerosis support group, and the girls at Elite Design Team. Loved ones that will miss her include her brother, Thom (Michiko) Belk, her children, J.C. (Marissa) Martin and Ange (Dan) Stralow, her grandkids, Kaia Stralow, Hayden Stralow, Jack Martin, Kayel Johnson, Rollin Johnson, her dog Missy, special family friends; Pat Carey and Cindy Minkie, and many other family members and friends.
And finally, she would want us to remember her late parents, Bob and June Belk. So the story continues until we see our hero again. We love you and miss you.
A private celebration of life will be planned by the family. A memorial has been established to benefit Pegasus Special Riders therapeutic horseback riding facility; Cheri A. Martin Memorial, State Bank, 1718 S. Dirck Drive, Freeport, IL, 61032. Condolences may be shared at www.
walkermortuary.com.
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