Gloria Eleanor (Smith) Cherry

Gloria E. Cherry, age 98, of Annandale, formerly of Redwood Falls and Morton, died Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at the Annandale Care Center.

Private family graveside services will be held at Redwood Falls Cemetery.

Gloria Eleanor Smith was born March 6, 1922 to George Harold Smith and Lucy (Juenemann) Smith, in Paxton Township, Redwood County, Minnesota. Gloria grew up on the family farm and attended Franklin High School, graduating in 1939. On March 24, 1940, Gloria was united in marriage to Brainerd Glenn Cherry. Gloria was a lifelong resident of the Redwood Falls and Morton areas, with brief sojourns in San Francisco and Manhattan, Kansas. In Manhattan, she helped Brainerd through veterinary college by running a boarding house (and studying with him - she knew an awful lot about veterinary medicine). After veterinary school, she returned with Brainerd to Redwood Falls, where he joined his father and brother in their veterinary practice, and they raised their children. After Brainerd retired from his practice, she opened Serendipity Ceramics, which she developed into a thriving small business, offering lessons, and selling ceramic supplies of all sorts. A specialty was “pattern pouring”, using a unique clay which she and Brainerd discovered during a trip to Alaska. In addition to ceramics, Gloria enjoyed creating art through rosemaling, crocheting, cross-stitching, needlepoint, sewing, and painting. Throughout her life, Gloria enjoyed playing her piano. She continued playing to the end, taking lessons into her eighties, and serving as pianist for the Redwood Falls Senior Center Band. And for some years after retirement, she tutored students in English at local schools, and greatly enjoyed that. She participated in Eastern Star for a number of years and in her later years, she volunteered at the Annandale Food Shelf. She will be sorely missed by us all.

Gloria is survived by her children, Jim (Diane) of Long Prairie, Tom (Nita) of Annandale, Leigh of Mankato, and Kay (George) LaValley of Superior, WI; 9 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; sisters, Dolores Nelson, Joanne Ellison, Jean (Dave) Krause, and Ellen Smith; and other family members. She was preceded in death by her husband, Brainerd; her parents; sisters, Iris “Skip” (Wayne) Ramey and Audrey (Fred) Jensen; stepmother, Helen (Sommers) Smith; granddaughter, Nicole Cherry; brothers-in-law, Dick Nelson and Maurie Ellison.

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