Cherry Barnard Axtell Lewis
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Cherry Barnard Axtell Lewis, 94, long time resident of Ripley, OK., passed away Monday, January 4, 2021, in Wichita Falls, TX.
The third of four children born to Nathaniel George Barnard and Lorena Regina Estes, she was born on December 1, 1926, in Agra, Oklahoma. In 1932 her family moved to the four corners area of Colorado where they homesteaded land and raised pinto beans. During WWII her family moved to Oregon for a brief time where she worked as a welder in the shipyards. After the war they returned to Colorado and Cherry married Robert Allen Axtell of Ripley, Oklahoma. After a few years of traveling to work in the oil fields around the four corners area the couple settled in Ripley, Oklahoma, and raised two children.
Cherry is preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Bessie Donovan and Carrie Lee Imel; Also passing before her were Robert Allen Axtell; and her second husband Bill Lewis both of Ripley, Oklahoma.
She is survived by a brother, Jim Barnard, of Cortez, Colorado; a son, Robert Lee Axtell (Pat) of Stillwater, Oklahoma; and a daughter Connie Sue Clifton (Fred) of Wichita Falls, Texas ; She also leaves five adult grandchildren, Zachary Axtell of Stillwater, Oklahoma., Sherry Trout of Flower Mound, Texas., Julie Wicker of Austin, Texas, Melanie Blake of Wichita Falls, Texas, and Ginger Schmid, of Alexandria, Virginia.; as well as four great grandchildren: Lauren and Logan Trout, Hannah Schmid, and Madison Axtell.
In just the last few years her son adopted five young siblings: Derek, Dewayne, Aidric, Elizabeth and Jaxon who all became her new grandkids.
Known to most as" Chuck", she was a woman who spent her younger years laughing with her sisters and teaching herself the piano, guitar & fiddle when she wasn't required to be in the fields on the tractor. She also played for dances with a group of local musicians in the early years of her marriage. Having learned to harmonize with her mom and sisters she became a member of the Sweet Adelines for a short time later in life. This gave her great joy.
She was a devoted caregiver to Robert, then later to her mother and was very proud to have helped raise her grandson.
She always tried to improve herself even during the years of caring for her husband and raising her grandson. She took college courses at OSU and loved to read many hours a day. She was especially pleased that all her grandkids went to college.
No services are planned at this time, Internment will be in Agra, OK., at the Osage cemetery at a later date.