Cheryl Ann Edwards McCullagh died on December 11, 2015, in the ICU at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. She was born on April 26, 1945 to Dr. Francis L. Edwards and Agnes Deane Butler Edwards in Pierce City, Missouri. She grew up in Monett, Missouri, where she was the valedictorian when she graduated from Monett High School in 1963. She graduated from Graceland College, Lamoni, Iowa in 1967. She then volunteered for her church, the Community of Christ, for one year in Wales and England where she made life-long friends. She then entered the Master of Social Work Program at the University of Missouri, Columbia and graduated in May 1970 with an M.S.S.W. She, her husband, and their son moved to Cedar Falls in 1981. For many years Cheryl was employed as a school social worker by the Area Education Agency. She was honored as the Iowa School Social Worker of the Year in 1994 and the Iowa Social Worker of the Year in 1995. She also received the Seasons of the Year Award from the Family and Children's Council in Waterloo.
Since 1981 Cheryl was a member of the Community of Christ in Cedar Falls. As a member said: "She has been a vital part of our congregation and gave loving, compassionate, insightful and timely counsel and assistance over the course of many years of service. Through her music as a pianist and her involvement in choir, she was such an asset and directly involved in years of service in ways that made worship much more meaningful. Her spiritual mentoring was tender and a blessing to all she touched in that manner. Her administrations were fruitful because she was so able to very quickly, allow God to enter her heart and mind when called upon, to bless those in various need allowing herself to be the channel for the Lord to pour out His blessing on those who had come to her for help. I have been a recipient of that more than once. Her sense of humor and her ability to laugh at herself were most endearing. Her sermons were deep and well founded and insightful. She was amazing when she had a job to do." Survived by: her husband, James, son, James John, and her sisters Frances Edwards and Caryl Edwards Gold and their families. Services: Visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Richardson Funeral Service, 615 Main Street, in Cedar Falls. The following day, December 16, visitation will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. followed by a memorial services at the Community of Christ Church at 4616 Cedar Heights Drive in Cedar Falls. Cheryl will be buried at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Greencastle, Northern Ireland. Memorials: may be directed to Graceland University students majoring in English at Lamoni, Iowa.
Copyright Waterloo Courier on-line edition; downloaded December 16, 2015.