Sheryl Ann Parks

Sheryl (Sherry) Ann Parks, 74, of Fort Dodge and formerly of Moorland went home to be with the Lord on Thursday April 18, 2013. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday April 24, 2013 at First Covenant Church in Fort Dodge with Pastor Allan Redenius officiating. Burial will follow at the Callender Cemetery. The visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Gunderson Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Sheryl Ann Swanson, the daughter of Earnest Oliver Swanson and Luella (Birkland) Swanson was born on April 4, 1939 in Fort Dodge, Iowa. She graduated from Moorland Consolidated School in 1957. In December of 1958 Sherry married her high school sweetheart, Jim Parks. Together they purchased 80 acres of farmland west of Moorland in 1960. This became their home for 40 years where they lovingly raised five daughters. She loved her family and thoroughly enjoyed the role of mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and homemaker. She worked for Wal-Mart in the jewelry department for ten years. Sherry and Jim joyfully worked together many long hours to remodel the 1914 home built by Jim's grandparents. This became their home in 1999. Many special family gatheri...[more]

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were celebrated in this home. She deeply loved her family and always looked forward to family gatherings. Sherry was a member of the First Covenant Church in Fort Dodge. She loved her church family and was so very thankful for their love and friendship. She was a servant at heart. She always put others before herself. She was a devoted grandmother who loved spending time with her grandchildren and attending all of their activities. Supporting them in everything they did with a warm hug and a cheerful smile. She will be remembered for her deep faith and love for her savior, for her sweet smile, kind and thoughtful words, and for her many expressions of love toward her family and many friends. Sherry is survived by her daughters Linda (Kim) Martin of Somers, Lisa (Gary) Schwendemann of Otho, Joni (Kenny) Kruse of Callender, Sheri (Tim) Warrick and Angie (Craig) Green both of Ankeny; grandchildren Mandy (Kurt) Backes, Katie (Brian) Norine, Michael Martin, Laura (Jay) Albrecht, Sarah and Erica Schwendemann, Nicole (Lance) Brandel, Parker and Hunter Kruse, Shayla, Ryan and Faith Warrick and Ashley and Avery Green; great-grandchildren Deegan Brandel, Brock Norine and Jackson Backes; her siblings Carrol of South Dakota, Don of California, LaVonne Beckman of Dayton, Iowa, Charlie of Arizona, Roger of Twin Lakes, Iowa, and Phillip of South Dakota. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 49 years, Jim; her parents Earnest Oliver and Luella; two grandchildren James Kenneth Martin and Kimberly Ann Martin; sister-in-law Pauline Parks Swanson; brother Clyde Swanson; brother-in-law Chuck Beckman and sister-in-law Joyce Hartzler Swanson. Memorials may be left to the family for their further discretion.