BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Sheryl Lynn Scharpf Lyons was born to Donald E Scharpf & Josephine Kelley Scharpf on November 24th, 1942 in Amboy.  Sheryl graduated from Franklin Center High School in 1960 and was married to William C. Lyons of Amboy, where they raised three children. 

She was very active in the Lee County Farm Bureau and was elected to the Lee County Board.  She worked for many years as a District Sales Manager with Avon Products in a territory that spanned several counties in North Central Illinois.

Sheryl is most well-known for the restoration of the Whitney Mansion in Franklin Grove, which she had listed on the Lee County Register of Historical Homes.  She ran The Whitney Bed & Breakfast, served lunches and had a gift shop, as well as sponsoring Historical Reenactments of the Civil War.

When she retired with her husband to live in Brownsville, Texas, they enjoyed traveling the country in their RV and seeing the world from a cruise ship.  She was a master at cooking, sewing, quilting and is famous for her pies. 

She went to Heaven on Dec. 29, 2020 after having diabetes for 38 years. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Carla Ann Scharpf Bayles; and her aunt and uncle, Ivan and Maxine (Kelley) Hullah, all of Franklin Grove. 

She is survived by her husband, William Charles Lyons, of Brownsville, Texas; her sister, Ruth (Scharpf) Luepkes, of Oregon; three Children, Crystel Lyons, of Greenville, Wis., David Lyons, of Amboy, and JR Lyons, of Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan. She has 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, with another on the way.

Sheryl was cremated and internment will be at Prairie Repose Cemetery in Amboy. 

A Memorial Service will be held from 1 – 4 p.m., on Saturday, June 26, at the Amboy Community Center.