CENTRALIA — Cheryl June Forth, 75, of Centralia, passed away at 12:25 a.m. Thursday, May 18, 2023, at SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital of Mt. Vernon, Illinois after complications from a surgical procedure.
Cheryl was born in Red Oak, IA in 1947, a daughter to J. Lyle and June L. Jenkins.
Cheryl was preceded in death by her parents and her first husband William E. Simonton. Those left behind to cherish her memory are her beloved husband of 28 years, Ronald L. Forth of Centralia, daughter Lori (Jim) Barkley of Nicholasville, KY; son W. Lyle (Jenny) Simonton of Smithton, IL, and stepdaughters Lisa Forth of Lebanon, KY and Sheila Forth of Centralia, IL. Also surviving are grandchildren Brynn and Katy Barkley of Nicholasville, KY; Will and Sydney Simonton of Smithton, IL; and Brandon (Chelsie) Creps of O’Fallon, MO. Cheryl leaves behind one precious great-granddaughter Astrid Creps.
Cheryl continuously doted on her kids and grandkids and was known to always have her camera ready and cookies in her cookie jar. Anyone she met was greeted with pics of her family. She and Ron regularly traveled distances for grandkids’ sporting events, performances, and birthday parties. She impacted the lives of all who met her and always lived up to the nickname “social butterfly” which Ron liked to call her.
When Cheryl was 6 years old in 1953, her family moved to Illinois where she went to grade school and high school in Carlyle, IL, graduating in 1965. She attended Eastern Illinois University for a short time, then returned to the Carlyle area to enter the workforce, ultimately working for Illinois Bell and then AT&T in Centralia as a telephone operator for over 25 years. In 1968, Cheryl married Bill Simonton and had two children. Bill passed away of a chronic illness in 1983. After retiring from AT&T, Cheryl enjoyed working several retail jobs around Centralia where she could continuously meet new people and catch up with long-time friends. Everyone has a story of running into Cheryl and spending more time than planned in those stores.
Cheryl spent the last several years of her life enjoying her time with loved ones and long-time friends, especially her best friend and husband Ron. They went on frequent boat rides with their dogs, and nightly car rides to look for deer. Cheryl also cherished her times with many friend groups, including the phone company group and the Class of 65 lunch bunch. Cheryl prioritized helping others, providing food and company to many friends in difficult times, and helping to cook and serve funeral dinners at Calumet Street Christian Church, where she was a long-time member. Cheryl will be dearly missed by all of her loved ones.
Funeral Services will be held Monday, May 22, 2023, at 12:00 PM at the Calumet Street Christian Church in Centralia with Pastor Anthony Sweeney officiating. Visitation will be held Monday, May 22, 2023, from 10 a.m. until the time of service at the church. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Centralia. Memorial donations in Cheryl’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Calumet Street Christian Church and will be accepted at the Sutherland-Garnier Funeral Home at 235 North Sycamore Street Centralia, Illinois 62801, 618-532-3523, who is honored to be of service to the Forth family. Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting sutherlandfuneralhome.com and the Sutherland Funeral Home Facebook page.