Sherry Vonnette Elder was born in December of 1948 in Brownwood, Texas to Ray and Emma Elder. As the daughter of an Airman in the U.S. Air Force, Sherry grew up on multiple Air Force bases. The family eventually came to settle in the Tri-Cities where Sherry loved camping and fishing at Hood and Charbonneau parks and spending time with her family. Eventually, life took Sherry away from the Tri-Cities as she spent phases of her life in San Diego, Yakima, and in Belfair in Western Washington, where she would meet her life-partner Jerry Dotson, before returning to settle back in the Tri-Cities.

Sherry was not defined by her career choices, but more so by her work ethic. She tried her hand at many things including selling real estate, entrepreneurship, and arranging flowers. While she excelled at all of them, Sherry knew that at the end of the day, life was about more than what you did for a living. For Sherry, life was about loving those around you, even when it was hard and messy, and about living life to its fullest.

She was a karaoke queen and her love of music will live on in her children and grandchildren. She also knew her way around a kitchen and loved to cook for her family. Her fried okra should have won awards.

As she aged, health issues slowed Sherry down, but she still found joy in small things like a big tall glass of ice tea with extra ice and two Sweet N'Lows or an ice cold Blue Moon. She loved browsing a Goodwill or a Big Lots for treasures. She never lost her sense of humor and never knew a stranger.

Sherry also loved animals and had the biggest heart for them. If all of the dogs Sherry loved throughout her life were waiting to greet her, then she had the most incredible welcome home of anyone passing through those pearly gates. Her girls often joked that her fur-babies were her favorite children, but there was definitely some truth to that as well.

Sherry is survived by her life-partner, Jerry; her beloved dog, Molly; her eldest daughter, Holli; her middle daughter, Heather and son-in-law, Doug; and her youngest daughter, Bonnie and son-in-law, Adam and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Mikey's Chance Canine Rescue.

https://www.mikeyschance.com/