Sherry Lynn Gaebe, 85, of Mount Vernon, Illinois, passed away at 7:50 pm January 24, 2021 at SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon. She was born August 12, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois to the late Roscoe and Sylvia (Holt) Trail. Sherry married Donald Gaebe on March 17, 1956 in Woodlawn Christian Church in Woodlawn, Illinois. They were blessed with fifty-eight years of marriage before he preceded her in death on October 28, 2014.
Sherry is survived by her daughter, Jill Martoccio of Dix, Illinois; son, Rick Gaebe and wife, Mary Beth of Okawville, Illinois; granddaughter, Holly Martoccio of Mount Vernon, Illinois; grandson, Carl Gaebe of Patoka, Illinois; great-grandsons, Spencer Scanlan and wife, Rose of Woodlawn, Illinois and Sylvio Martoccio of Mount Vernon, Illinois; cousins: JIm Holt of Lansing, Kansas and Judy Shaughenessy of Camel, Indiana; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and husband, Sherry was preceded in death by her brother, Jack Trail and sisters-in-law, Doris Trail, Henrietta Ferguson, and Beverly Bushong.Sherry graduated from Woodlawn High School in 1952 and went to college at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She was employed as a secretary for the Illinois Central Railroad, was a substitute teacher, and also worked in the card department at the Mount Vernon WalMart when it first opened. Sherry also volunteered her time to help local grade schools with their tutoring programs.
Sherry was a baptized member of the Woodlawn Christian Church. She loved attending services there, serving the church by helping with both Sunday School and Bible School over the years. She enjoyed both good food and good fellowship by regularly attending the senior citizens’ meals provided by the church once a month. Sherry also liked going on the senior citizens’ trips to places like the Capitol Building in Springfield and Cave-in-Rock State Park.
Sherry loved to spend time with her family, making sure to be present at whatever game, concert, or play was on the schedule for her kids and grandkids. Sherry enjoyed the sport of bowling so much that she joined a league and stuck with it for as long as her health would allow. She was also an avid St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan. Although she didn’t travel to Busch Stadium much, she rarely missed a game on the television. Sherry watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy almost every day.
A Visitation will be held from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm on Monday, February 8, 2021 at Hughey Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, Illinois. A Funeral Service will begin at 1:00 pm with Mr. Jonathan Schnautz officiating. Interment will follow at I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Woodlawn, Illinois. Memorials may be made in Sherry’s honor to Woodlawn Christian Church.
Please remember to observe social distancing at this time. We are limited to 50 people in our building at a time. Following the CDC and NFDA regulations, we encourage everyone to wear a mask. They will be made available, upon request. Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.