Sherry (Olson) Pipkin

Sherry (Olson) Pipkin

Cedar Rapids

Sherry (Olson) Pipkin passed away on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, surrounded by her family.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, March 11, 2024, at Christ Church Presbyterian. Teahen Funeral Home is caring for Sherry and her family.

Sherry was born in Webster City, Iowa on August 7, 1938, to Gladys M. (Stilwell) Olson and Howard Pete Olson. On January 14, 1956, she married Larry H. Pipkin of Sioux City, Iowa (Larry’s hometown). They moved to Chicago, Illinois so Larry could attend Illinois College of Optometry where he graduated in 1959.

During that time Sherry helped support them by working at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and ironing the professors’ lab coats for 25 cents each. After graduation, they moved back to Sioux City, Iowa where Larry worked a short time for an optometry office. In 1960 they moved to Newton, Iowa where Sherry became an active member of the Newton Welcome Wagon. In 1963 they settled in Cedar Rapids where Larry joined an Optometry office and they remained for the rest of her life.

Sherry was a 60-year member of Christ Presbyterian Church where she taught vacation bible school and youth Sunday school for many years. She also invented “Lolly the Clown” entertaining the kids and integrating happy times into her teachings. She and Larry were members of Merry Mates where they made lifelong friends.

Sherry along with her husband Larry, took part in several eye care mission trips, traveling to Merid, Yucatan, Mexico and Columbia, volunteering their services through Optometric Services to Humanity.

They also made numerous trips to Haiti, performing exams and dispensing glasses to those in need.

Sherry volunteered at Prairie High School where she was one of the founding members of the Prairie Foundation.

She was also very passionate about supporting local law enforcement, serving as Matron at the Linn County Jail, and helped train officers on drunk driving hazards, and was very active in MADD.

She was preceded in death by her husband Larry and her parents.

Those left to cherish her memory are her four children, Amy (Tom) of Colorado, Betsy Peters of Cedar Rapids, Devin (Rachael) of North Liberty, and Chris (Tina) of Cedar Rapids; ten grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; and her brother, Dennis of Colorado.

Sherry will be missed by many and is surely looking down on all of us continuing to cheer us on.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Online condolences can be left at www.teahenfuneralhome.com.