It deeply saddens us to announce that our mother, Sherry Slaten-Gimlin, passed away on Friday, March 10th, 2023 at the age of 68. She died peacefully in her home in Greenwood, AR, next to her loving husband Bobby Gimlin, after battling pulmonary fibrosis for three long years.
Sherry had a late start in her career. At the age of 45, she made the conscious decision to go back to school to get her nursing degree. She graduated with honors and instantly became a bright light in her community of Waldron, where she worked and retired after 20 years at Mercy Hospital, first as an LPN and then RN. Her patients loved her immensely. She never failed in treating them as if they were family and showed them the compassion and comfort everyone expects when being cared for during their illnesses. She was also an avid volunteer for health screenings and flu clinics with the local schools and county. When she wasn’t nursing, she was taking care of her family by cooking and baking, something that gave her great pleasure. She was always prepared to feed an army. She would say, “If you leave hungry, that’s your own fault”. You also never know when you would catch her riding on the back of the Harley. It was something she fell in love doing with her husband, alongside their friends and family.
Although nursing was a great accomplishment, she would say that her highest accolade was being a mother. Besides her own three children, she was also known by so many as “mom” and loved each of them as if they were her own. They were the light of her life and she was their biggest supporter in everything they chose to do in their individual lives. She was a pillar of strength and encouragement to all.
Sherry is survived by her husband, Bobby Gimlin of Greenwood; three children, Ginger Hobbs and spouse, Jeff Grimmett of Waldron, Bubba Slaten and spouse, Mandy Slaten of Greenwood and Jeremy Slaten and spouse, Kelly Slaten of Waldron; eight grandchildren, Garrett Hobbs, Savannah Hobbs, Jet Grimmett, Kasey Slaten, Sydney Slaten, Abigail Slaten, Elijah Slaten and Linda Nicole Harrington; one great grandchild, Lexi May Harrington; one brother, Rick Hawkins and one sister, Cathy Goodlow. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Lee Alton and Velma Jean Langston and two brothers, Butch Langston and Lee Allen Langston.
Pallbearers will be Shawn Shadwick, Kevin Shadwick, Ethan Langston, Jeremy “OX” Oxford, Bruce Rainwater, Jon Isham and Mike Opolka. Honorary pallbearers will be Edward Montgomery, Gabe Mizell, Dayton Mizell, Cort Mizell, Jaxson Mizell, Scotty King, Tim Tilley, Lance Martin and Josh Simmons.
Funeral service will be held 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 15 at the National Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas. There will be a procession to the cemetery starting at McConnell Funeral Home in Greenwood, leaving promptly at 9:15 a.m., everyone is welcome to be in it. There will be no public viewing. The family will receive friends and family following the service at the house of Bobby Gimlin in Greenwood.
To share a memory or leave a message for the family, please visit www.mcconnellfh.com.
