- Cheri Palmer
August 8, 1943 - October 5, 2015
Cheri Palmer; 72, passed away peacefully in her home on Monday, October 5, 2015.
And she went- Cheri Marie Schnell, King, Drollinger, Mangum, Anderson, Palmer.
She was born of the union of Mrs. Margaret and Mr. Walter Schnell (aka James B. Shannon) in Pocatello, Idaho, August 8, 1943. A short-lived marriage of her parents allowed her mother to travel looking for the next Ms. Margaret Conlin. This search took them to Salt Lake City, UT; Little Rock, AR; Long Island, NY, and places in between. Cheri learned at a young age to approach challenging times with a positive attitude as she attended 13 different schools in 12 years finally graduating from Massapequa High School, Long Island, in 1961.
It was days after her graduation that she moved out west to see her father and return to the bosom of Blackfoot, the home of her beloved grandmother, Margaret Butler, and grandfather, George Butler, of Butler's Pharmacy. Cheri took college prep classes Blackfoot High School with the class of 1962.
She married Leroy Drollinger and moved to Henderson, NV where they adopted their beautiful baby boy, Philip Drollinger in 1966. Leroy and Cheri divorced returning Cheri, once again, home to Bingham county where she remained.
On 7/17/70 she married Dell Mangum and they made a home at 717 S. Shilling, raising their family including two beautiful daughters, Bekki and Anji. 'Body Stacker' and 'Mumblin' Mule' were leaders among the local CB club. Dell and Cheri divorced in 1980.
Cheri worked at Gibson's, and was a business owner in the late '70's. She was a faithful employee at NonPareil for 25 years as a lab technician, she was one hell of a cocktail waitress in the early '80's, most notably at the Riverside Inn, and a founding member of the 'Pine Street Orphanage.'
In August 1985 she was arrested for a DUI and began attending AA meetings. This was the beginning of a better life for her and the people she loved. She kept going back, because the program worked, and in August 2015 she celebrated 30 years of sobriety by working an honest program. She was a pillar of wisdom among her AA friends, and loved learning as much as she gave when she attended meetings. Cheri embraced her spiritual self and was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
On January 1, 1996 she married Donald Palmer, her high school sweetheart and he moved out from Long Island, New York. He left her a widow in 2008.
After retiring from NonPareil, she began working at Dawn Enterprises. She took great pride and joy working with the wonderful people at Dawn.
Legally blind with macular degeneration, and a survivor of two cancers and a recipient of a third, Cheri took all that life could give her with a 'go get'em' attitude.
She was an active member of the Blackfoot Does Drove 190, National Federation of the Blind, and the Tuesday night 'Joy of Living' AA meetings.
She is proceeded in death by her parents; sister, Cara King Holz; an infant daughter, Jennifer; and husband, Donald Palmer.
She is survived by her son, Philip (Dawn) Drollinger of Worland, WY; two daughters, Rebecca "Bekki" Ruth Mangum, Blackfoot; Angelika "Anji" Lenore Mangum, Blackfoot. Grandchildren, Cody Drollinger, Paige Drollinger, Riley Solomon, and Erin Solomon. Siblings, Wilma "Willie" (Armando) Gressel, Suisun City, CA; James (Sharon) Jeppson; Firth; Heidi Canales, San Jose, CA.
As per her wishes, cremation will take place under the direction of Hawker Funeral Home. Join family and friends as they celebrate the life of Cheri on Friday, October 9, 2015 starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Blackfoot Elk's Lodge, family will begin meeting with friends as we eat, drink and be merry. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.hawkerfuneralhome.com.
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1943 - 2015 (72 years)
