Cheri Mills passed away on February 4, 2022, at her home in Celeste, Texas. The funeral services for Cheri will be 10:00 AM, Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at Higher Trails Cowboy Church in Celeste with Pastor Brett Bird officiating. Burial will follow the service at Memoryland Memorial Park. The visitation will be at 9:00 AM until service time on Wednesday at the church.
Cheri was born in Tucumcari, New Mexico, on October 16, 1944. Her family lived in Tucumcari for one year before moving on to Rockford and then Champaign, Illinois. The family moved one last time to Phoenix, Arizona, where Cheri graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors’ degree in Education.
She met and married Donald Halderman, Jr. in 1966. After their son Russell was born in 1967, the family moved to Indiana where son Stephen was born in 1970. The family moved to several places before settling in Allen, Texas. Cheri worked as a business teacher at Allen High School and finished her Master of Arts degree from North Texas State University in 1986. She went on to earn a doctorate in Education (EdD) from University of North Texas in 1992. She taught school for several years before working at Region Ten in Richardson, Texas. She finished her career working as Education Consultant for Computer Technology at Dallas Independent School District in Dallas. Cheri also worked as a professor for the University of Phoenix for more than ten years teaching post-grad students and doctoral candidates online. During this time, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Japan and traveled throughout Japan for six weeks.
Her husband Don had been gone for ten years when she met Jerry Mills of Greenville, Texas. They married in 2010 and built a new home on eight acres of land by Celeste. Cheri was now a grandmother to son Russell’s daughter, Kara, and to son Stephen’s boys, Dylan, Ryan, and Tyler. Upon marrying Jerry, she became stepmother to Jerry’s children, Donna, Curtis, Corey, Brent, and Stephen.
When Jerry passed away in 2019, Cheri kept busy with gardening, baking, taking care of her home and acreage, quilting, knitting, and attending church services at Higher Trails Church. She was always willing to lend a hand to those who needed help. Her pies and cakes were well known to family and friends. Her dogs and cat brought her much solace and company.
Her life was one of much accomplishment and joy. It is with deep sadness that we will have to go on without her. She was blessed and we were blessed to know her.