Homegoing Service for Cherry Hendrix

Cherry C. Hendrix was born Aug. 17, 1912 in Montgomery Ala., into a family of seven girls and six boys.  She came to Oregon in 1944 at the invitation of her cousin.  She found work at the Kaiser Shipyard and met her husband Jerome Hendrix (Shorty) there.  He passed away Christmas Day 1968. It was her love of reading and learning that moved her to get her GED and led her to a career in education.

She retired from the Portland Public School System after 20 years of service teaching children to read, write, and do math. In 1990 she joined Metropolitan Family Service Experience Corps Grandparents Program and became  lovingly known as Grandma Cherry to hundreds of children and their children.  She was placed at Woodlawn Elementary School just walking distance from her home. Giving back to young people was one of the many joys in her life. She often bragged about how she loved each and every one of her students. She retired again at the age of 94.

During her career she received many awards but the one that was special to her was the first Cherry Hendrix Initiative Award presented to her by Metropolitan Family Services in recognition for her many achievements in the community and the church.  She has been featured in the Oregonian, Portland Tribune Newspapers and The Portland Skanner. The Trailblazers Jumbotran honored her at a game. Cherry never stopped learning.  Her last formal class was Computer Science at age 80.

To her Church Family she was Mother Cherry.  She was a faithful member of Allen Temple CME Church for over 50 years.  She was active in the Adult Choir and served on the Stewardess Board #1, as a lay leader, coordinator and teacher of the Lillian Jenkins Bible Study.  She also volunteered at The Emergency Aid Center,   At the District and annual Conference level Mother Cherry was also a missionary president.

Cherry Hendrix left us June 8, 2013 to receive another award from Heaven.  The Homegoing service was held Saturday June 29, 2013 at Allen Temple AME Church,  Senior Pastor Reverend Dr. LeRoy Haynes Jr. Eulogist

She leaves behind her son, Joe Washington of Lacey, Washington, daughters Elona Ann Heidel  and Doris Dee Hendricks, 5 grandchildren, 10 great. grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews and friends who love her dearly.