Sherri Sue Delong

It was a stormy blizzard night, when Hank and Elizabeth decided to introduce the youngest child of 4 brothers and 2 sisters to the family and neighborhood. Almost named "Stormy" after the storm of February 9th 1958, she was delivered as a healthy 11 lb 9 oz baby girl, named Sherri Sue DeLong. Extremely shy and quiet, this little tomboy knew how to enjoy life with her best friend Terry J. Loving the outdoors, together they took advantage of many outdoor sports by riding mini bikes, water-skiing, snowmobiling and later dirt bike riding. Sherri's passion for the outdoors never ended but continued on after Graduating from Reeths Puffer High School in 1976. In her senior year she met her life long best friend Gail. Together they spent time camping, canoeing, and seadooing. While traveling up north, they would stop to visit the Casinos, spending time on the one arm bandits knowing the Chief was either in a giving or taking mood. Her employment started out as a senior in high school for DeLong's Trucking. This co-op job provided the necessary skills for her to be an employee for Professional Ambulance. When the business was sold she found other job opportunities with Great Lakes Plating and Interior Specialties of Spring Lake. Employment didn't end here. As a grounds keeper for her parents yard, Sherri took extreme pride in grooming the landscape. Riding the lawn tractor, with her bandana and mirrored sunglasses she would rev up the rpms and off she would ride. Every once in a while Sherri would be challenged by the next door neighbor Bill, to see who could do the best job in the shortest period of time. Though Sherri was shy and quiet as many would say, she was a very loving and caring person. Her ability to forgive people and not hold a grudge was experienced by many of those she made contact with. If you needed someone she was always there and willing to offer support. Sherri made her biggest commitment in life when her parents became ill. Her father was stricken with cancer and mother with Parkinson's. For fifteen years she was a caregiver, devoting her time, energy, love and compassion to her parents. After her parents passed on, Sherri moved in with Gail. Gail's home provided Sherri with a new job opportunity and a chance to start all over again. A huge pole barn stood on the back of the property, becoming a place to start her own little business. Never loosing her passion for the outdoors, Sherri spent long hours splitting and bundling wood during the weekdays. She was very proud of her accomplishments and rightfully so. Each bundle of wood was hand picked and tied with perfection before LJ Pantry's sold them to the summer campers. Sherri always looked forward to the weekends. This time was for bon fires and sharing good times with family, friends and whoever liked to party. March 15, 2006 Sherri received life-changing news. She was diagnosed with terminal Lung cancer given three days to three months to live. With treatment she was able to beat the odds and survived for one year. During the last year of Sherri's life she became an inspiration to her family, cancer staff and fellow patients. No longer the shy, bashful person many once knew. She became a beacon of light and a sign of hope to those suffering from the same horrible disease. During this time Sherri and Gail had the opportunity to go to Hawaii. Thanks to Kim and Norm they had 9 fun filled days in Maui. The 8-hour flight took its toll on Sherri. She felt ill and spent the first 3 days in the hotel room. After the sickness passed she and Gail were able to enjoy both a helicopter and submarine ride. Viewing Maui didn't stop there; they rented a jeep to explore the island and enjoyed the beach. Although the last year of Sherri's life was difficult, it was one of the most rewarding for Sherri, Gail, and sisters Sandy and Shell. Together they laughed, cried and formed a bond that death cannot destroy. Surrounded by her family on March 15th 2007, Sherri lost her battle and joined her parents who preceded her in death.