Cheryl Vernice Weakly, of rural Vienna, was born February 8, 1960, in East St. Louis, Illinois, a daughter of Christopher Columbus Smith, Sr. and Rose Marie (Davis) Smith, and departed this life in the last afternoon hour of Monday, September 8, 2014, at her residence, near Vienna, from injuries sustained when her riding lawn mower turned over on her. Cheryl had attained the age of 54 years and 7 months.

Cheryl was united in marriage on October 2, 1982, at East St. Louis, Illinois, to Irid Donnell Weakly. She was preceded in death by one son, Darren Anthony "Tony" Weakly, on December 15, 1990, at the age of 3 months and 11 days; and two sisters, Shirley Ann Buckley on February 25, 2008, and Brittney Cassandra Hardy on November 9, 2013.

Cheryl had accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and had followed her Lord in baptism early in life. She truly lived a life guided by the Golden Rule and strived to live a life serving the Lord whether preaching, writing, teaching, working, or being diligent in providing for the needs of her family. Cheryl was proficient as a music teacher and director and a highly skilled organist and pianist. At the time of her passing, Cheryl attended the Lambeth Assembly of God Church, near Vienna, where she was a preacher, a teacher, a musician, and in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement, a perseverant individual in her witness for Christ and winning souls for Him.

During her working life, Cheryl had been employed by the United States Postal Service in St. Louis as a mail distributor for six years; the store manager of the Dollar General Store, Vienna, for four years, and most recently, a lift driver for the R.R. Donnelly Company, Jefferson City, for thirteen years; as well as being a devoted housewife and homemaker.

Those left to mourn the passing of Cheryl include: Her husband, Irid, of the home near Vienna; her children, Maria Smith, Irid Weakly, Jr., Adria Weakly, Timothy Weakly, Derek Weakly, and Darrel Weakly, all of Vienna; four grandchildren, Jakobe Smith, Aliyah Griffin, Ava Smith, and Aniyah Griffin; her mother, Rose Marie Hardy, Vienna; her father, Christopher C. Smith, Sr., Indianapolis, Indiana; her brothers and sisters, Christopher Smith, Jr., Angela Denzmore, Virgil Smith, Diana Hardy, Nichole Hardy, Rahman Hardy, Myra Hardy, Maurice Hardy, Michelle Hardy, Whitney Hardy, Whitley Hardy, Michael Avalaz, Sharon McGee, Charlotte Buckley, and Sheila Buckley; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were conducted for Cheryl at 11:00 a.m., on Friday morning, September 12, 2014, in the First Baptist Church, Vienna, with her mother, Rose Marie Hardy, officiating. Pallbearers were Irid Weakly, Jr., Timothy Weakly, Derek Weakly, Darrel Weakly, Elder Christopher Smith, Jr., Elder Virgil Smith, Rahman Hardy, and Maurice Hardy. Interment was in the Vienna Public Cemetery under the direction of the Vienna Chapel of the Birmingham-Martin Funeral Homes.

Memorial contributions are suggested per the wishes of the family with envelopes available at the Vienna Office of the Birmingham-Martin Funeral Homes.