Virginia Pearl Salyer Cherry

Virginia Pearl Salyer Cherry

1917-2013

Virginia Pearl Salyer was born to Sarah Elizabeth Chapman and Pearl Wade Salyer on November 30, 1917. Two years later Jewel Lavern was born, and five years later Robert Basil was born.  Virginia was born in Anadarko, Oklahoma. She attended school in Davenport and Minco before moving to Overton, Texas. She was in the beginning classes of Kilgore Junior College its first year. At 19 she quit school her sophomore year to marry Frederick Tinsley Cherry, who was a petroleum engineer with the oil company where her father worked. When her brother Basil was eleven years old, he was killed while attending the New London School, which exploded, killing over 300 teachers and students, shocking the entire world.  In the early thirties, Fred Cherry became well known as Oklahoma University’s left end on their football team. In the early forties he was called from their first home to serve 44 months in the U.S. Army’s Ordinance, in London during the “blitz” and in Belgium during the battle of the Bulge, the hardest fought battle of World War II.  Their four pre-war children, Starley, Ronnie, Mary, and Jenny, were born before Fred left for the war, and their four post-war children, Carmen, John, Freddie, and Sarah, were born after he returned.  The last twenty years of their life together, Fred preached the gospel throughout the U.S. and even up into Canada. They moved to Edmond and to the country where Virginia lived the last 62 years. Their three PK’s (preacher kids), Mark, Ruth, and Rachel, were born after they moved to Edmond.  All eleven children graduated from Edmond High School and six graduated from Central State (now University of Central Oklahoma), and one from Baylor. Others graduated from various schools and universities.  Their four sons are Ronald Wade from Austin TX, John Wallace and Fred Smith from Edmond OK, and Mark Cherry from Shawnee OK. Fred Smith lives at the old place, Cherry Hollow, and cares for the place and cared for Virginia. Fred is a retired high school math teacher for over 30 years.  The six living Cherry girls are Starley Ann Bullard of Edmond OK, Mary Frances Burleson of Norman OK, Virginia (Jenny) Lee McMonigle of Edmond OK, Sarah Janyth Wilkins of Mustang OK, Ruth Elaine Couts of Mustang, and Rachel Lynn Fraim of Edmond OK. Carmen Corynne Cherry was valedictorian of her high school class. She lived and worked in Kansas until her death in 1990.  Fred Cherry, Virginia’s husband, died in TX in 1970 while preaching his last revival meeting.  Virginia continued living in Cherry Hollow her last years enjoying her art and her family, which consisted of her 11 children, 42 grandchildren, and 104 great grandchildren, and 6 great-great grandchildren.  Virginia Pearl Salyer Cherry, our Mom, a woman of great faith in Jesus, passed away Saturday, January 19, 2013.