Daughter, sister, wife, mother, Noni, and friend. All of these shared one common denominator with my mother, that was teacher. Sherry Steedley Connell born in Alma, Georgia on May 28th, 1945, daughter of William McKinley and Elaine Miles Steedley. Sherry was preceded in death by her parents, "Mac" and Elaine Steedley, her husband Bill Connell, and her son-in-law Scottie Simpson. She is survived by her two children Angela Simpson, Mark Connell (wife Heather and daughter Maggie), grandson Jordan Connell (wife Jenna), brothers Kerry Steedley (wife Brenda), Gerry Steedley (wife Beth), Derry Steedley (wife Roxanne), and Sister-in-law Vicky Kress (husband Skip). Sherry grew up enjoying the farm life of south Georgia, picking cotton, tobacco, and mentoring the other "errys"; her three brothers Kerry, Gerry, and Derry. Sherry graduated from East Rowan High School, N.C., then went to Free Will Baptist Bible College, Nashville, TN to study Christian Education. On November 9th, 1968, she married William "Bill" D. Connell Sr.; they had two children Angela Elaine Connell and William Demarcus Connell Jr.. Even with a family Sherry's passion and calling to Christian education never waivered. She taught her son Mark in kindergarten; which was only the beginning of her impact for God's kingdom. The common denominator never reduced, but oh how it grew. Sherry walked the field of faith, just like she walked those crop fields daily as a child in South Georgia, but this time she was planting seed after seed of both earthly and heavenly knowledge through Christian education. Sherry's spiritual calling grew from just teaching, into owning and operating a daycare, in Landis, N.C. and a private kindergarten in Kannapolis, N.C. The ministries kept coming too; her brother/ Pastor Gerry Steedley started Dayspring Community Church, in the daycare. Dayspring just celebrated its thirtieth year of ministry, and now meets on its campus in China Grove. Meanwhile the one room kindergarten was now a K-12 private school, outgrowing its facility; New Frontier Christian Academy merged with North Kannapolis Baptist Church, thanks to Pastor Leon Hawk; seeing and believing in the God-breathed, Christian education ministry that was manifest through Sherry. North Kannapolis Christian Academy enjoyed almost two decades of spiritually, mentally, and physically impacting students as well as families from all over Rowan and Cabarrus counties. Sherry's love for Christ and ministry of Christian education was and is seen in every generation of her earthly life. She will rejoice in the impact on future generations of those seeds that Christian education planted. Many of us are those seeds, and many of your families will be seeds too. In John 4:34-38, Jesus calls us to plant the seeds, and tells us others would harvest the seeds. Mom's prayer over us would be, "Lord help them harvest those seeds and encourage the planting of more seeds." The family would like to especially thank Levine Cancer Center, Dr. Laura Musselwhite and her team, Atrium Cabarrus Hospice (RN Jennifer and CNA Beverly), for the compassionate, wonderful care they provided Mom/ Noni.
In Loving Memory of Sherry Connell. We love you Mom/ Noni/ Sis.
Visitation will be on Friday July 5, 2024 from 6:00 pm till 8:00 pm at Linn Honeycutt Funeral Home in China Grove, with funeral on Saturday at 10 am at Dayspring Community Church, 490 Lentz Road, China Grove with Pastor Gerry Steedley officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dayspring Community Church in honor of Sherry.
Dayspring Community Church, 490 Lentz Road, China Grove, N.C. 28023
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