l and volleyball. It was also there that she met a young gentleman that would change her life forever and would date for three years. She graduated with the Class of 1965 and on May 29, 1965, she and Lee Ford were married at the Dunfee Christian Church. For 30 years, she worked for North American Van Lines in Fort Wayne. In 1997, she and Lee moved to the Columbia City area. Cheryl had been a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Lake Township in Allen County. While her children, Tamra, Laura and Sarah were growing up, she had been a Girl Scout Leader. Even though Cheryl liked staying at her home, she also enjoyed traveling and visiting places like Las Vegas, the New England area, Florida, Michigan and visiting her family in Illinois. Out of everything that Cheryl did, she loved being with her family the most and adored her five grandchildren. In her free time, she found relaxation in her flower gardens at her home which she was very proud of. She enjoyed watching the hummingbirds fly around her home and they enjoyed the feeders that she put out for them. While her children were growing up, she was a great seamstress, sewing many pajamas and Halloween costumes for her three girls. At 3:35 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, 2018, Cheryl's family was forever changed when she passed away after a brief illness at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne at the age of 71. She is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Lee Ford; daughters, Tamra (Jay) Minch, Laura Tomlinson and Sarah Cronin, all of Fort Wayne; father, Wendell Bowlin, of Sesser, Illinois; siblings, Kenny (Lou) Bowlin, of Sesser, Illinois, Relda (Sam) Guthrie, of Edgewood, Illinois, Gary (Jaxine) Bowlin, of Sesser, Illinois and Brian (MaLynda) Bowlin, of Valier, Illinois; and five grandchildren, Dakota Schaefer, Emma Schaefer, Kiana Minch, Darcy Cronin and Jesse Dillow. She was preceded in death by her mother, Doris Bowlin. Visitation is 2-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with visitation one hour prior. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be given in her memory to St. John's Lutheran Church, Lake Township. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send her family condolences online.