Cheryl Kay Reisig

Cheryl Kay Reisig, 79, left this life to enter her eternal rest on September 1st, 2024 after a short stay in Pathways Hospice inpatient facility following years of increasingly complex medical issues.

Cheryl was born on July 19th, 1945 to Oswald and Lillian (Stricker) Neu in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, the youngest of three children. The family moved to Portland, Oregon and then to Vancouver, Washington where she graduated from high school before going back to Scottsbluff for nursing school at what was then West Nebraska General Hospital. In Scottsbluff, she met her future husband, Roger Allen Reisig. They were introduced by Cheryl's cousin and Roger's best friend, John D. Schmidt. Roger and Cheryl married on June 8th, 1968 in Emmanuel Congregational Church and moved back to Vancouver to start a family.

In Vancouver, Cheryl did many different nursing jobs at both Vancouver Memorial Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital. She worked in the operating room as a scrub nurse and managed the Central Service department for several years, among other positions. She was eventually lured away to work as the head nurse at a nursing home in Richfield, Washington where her Fourth of July celebrations were the stuff of legend.

When her husband received a job offer in Colorado too good to pass up in 1982, Cheryl moved the family to Lamar, in the southeast corner of the state. A competent and skilled nurse and leader, Cheryl quickly found work at Prowers Medical Center, a small, rural hospital. She became the head nurse of the Obstetrics department and delighted in bringing new babies into the world. She also used her free time to found a partnership in Prowers County to reduce the number of teen pregnancies through information and education.

Cheryl and the family once again followed Roger in a move, this time to Fort Collins, Colorado. By this time, Cheryl was disabled from a back injury she sustained on the job. Her work career ended at 45, so she looked toward other outlets for her creativity and drive. She was well known for her knitting and crochet work. Every new bride in the family got a stack of crocheted dishcloths from "Aunt Cheri" and every new baby got a knitted baby blanket. She knitted Christmas stockings and sewed soft children's books which have become treasured hand-me-downs. She also had a side business in Home Interiors and decorated the family home with their items.

Cheryl was preceded in death by her parents, Oswald and Lillian, and her brother, Ronald. She is survived by Roger, her husband of 56 years, their two daughters, Heidi and Becky, both of Fort Collins, her sister Judy of Lacey, Washington, many nieces and nephews scattered around the country and their children, her godsons and their children and her grand-godchildren in England, all of whom she loved dearly.

In accordance with her wishes, there will be no service or memorial. Cheryl has asked to be cremated. If you wish to donate a tribute to her, we would encourage a gift to Pathways Hospice (305 Carpenter Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80525) where Cheryl spent her last days surrounded by love and care. Donations are also welcome at the Food Bank for Larimer County (1301 Blue Spruce Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80524) or NOCO Humane (3501 E 71st St, Loveland, CO 80538) two charities Cheryl held close to her heart.