Sherry G Kuhns

She died peacefully in her sleep at her home, March 12, 2024, at the age of 100.

Sherry was preceded in death by her husband Paul Smith Kuhns Jr, who died March 11, 2011 and her brother Don Gaines, who died October 13, 2023. Sherry was very proud of the family she and her husband Paul created and nurtured: their son Paul S. Kuhns III and his wife, Pamela, their children, Jason (married to Amanda and with children, Makenzie and Parker), Sarah (and her children Ben, Brynne and Bowen) and David Paul (married to Jenn); their son David W. Kuhns Sr. and his wife, Rita, their son David Jr (married to Brooke and with children, Elsie and Andrew); their daughter Kristin and her husband Scott Smith, their children Lauren Holton, (married to Ricky and sons, Oliver and Wesley), and Meije Smith.

Sherry will be honored with a memorial service at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3737 Liberty Rd. S. Salem, OR 97302, Saturday May 4, at 3:30. Afterwards there will be a gathering of fellowship and memories at the church.

The first child of Frank Froebel and Ruth Williams Gaines, Sherry was born November 4, 1923 in Paducah, Kentucky. They did not live there long before the family moved to the St.Louis, Mo. area where she was raised and graduated from Webster Groves High School in 1941. Sherry started at Iowa State University that fall where she met Paul on the train returning to school after Christmas break; he too was from St. Louis. Their college experience was interrupted when the US entered WWII; she returned home where she got a job at National Lead Paint Company, St. Louis working in their lab, Paul became a bombardier flying out of Italy.

During the war their relationship grew as they wrote to each other, when Paul's tour ended in April of 1945, they were married a few weeks later on May 12, in Webster Groves, Mo..

Once the war was over Paul returned to forestry studies at Iowa State and Sherry quit her studies one term short of a degree in Home Economics where she was particularly interested in the chemistry of fiber development. Because of her interests, her academic exposure and wartime work experience Sherry infused the remainder of her life with intellectual curiosity, personal responsibility and strength.

Sherry and Paul began their life together in Independence, Mo. where their two sons, Paul and David were born. They then moved to Edwardsville, Ill. After working in the wood-products industry, Paul took a job with the Bureau of Land Management in Eugene, Or. when the family loaded up their belongings and drove out to Oregon in August of 1954 where Kristin was born. The family were members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Eugene and joined the Salem WPC congregation when Paul was transferred in 1959 and the family moved to Salem. Sherry lived the remainder of her life in that home.

In 1966 Sherry became a sales associate at JC Penney, working downstairs in the ready-made drapery department. She retired from Penney's in 1992 after 26 years.

Once Sherry and Paul were retired they enjoyed volunteering at Salem Audubon Society and Salem Art Association, They took several bus tours heading south to the canyonlands of Utah and Colorado as well as trips north to Glacier Park, British Columbia and Montana. They developed relationships through their joy of making purchases from people they got to know; shopping at Carl's Cuisine or Artisans they got to know from year after year attending the Salem Art Fair & Festival.

Domestic arts remained integral to Sherry's life through her interests in cooking, sewing, machine embroidery, knitting, machine knitting and ultimately weaving. For the last 25 years of her life she was an active member of Salem Fiberarts Guild, she always had a project going on a loom at home and at "The Mill".

Sherry was the most avid sports enthusiast of our family; particularly following MLB, both NCAA and professional football. She was skilled at crossword puzzles, the daily jumble and would put herself to sleep at night reciting the state capitals in her head, alphabetically. Her ability to converse on a wide range of topics with knowledge and vigor remained true all her days.

Thank you mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend and neighbor for your consistently unconditional care and compassion.