Cheryl Martin Martin Inglesby

Cheryl’s Story

Cheryl Martin Inglesby was known as many things to many people. She was a teacher, loved one, a friend, and most important to her, as a mom and grandma. To family and friends who knew her best, Cheryl will be remembered as a very exceptional person.

She was born in North Dakota, but grew up in Mahnomen, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Ken and Helene Martin and had two siblings, Barry and Pam. Cheryl lived in Mahnomen through high school, participating in basketball and choir, and spent her summers as a Campfire counselor and vacationing at White Earth Lake where she liked to boat, fish, and swim.

After high school, Cheryl decided to uproot and move across the country to live with and care for her grandpa, while also attending college. So she moved to Monmouth, Oregon and went to Oregon College of Education (now Western Oregon University) where she earned her teaching degree. She delivered mail on campus for a job while she went to school and spent summers in Mahnomen as a waterfront director and instructor and worked at the local ‘soda shop’ where she was able to gather ALL the gossip and latest happenings in town. This may have been the start of her love for maraschino cherries and ice-cream! A few years later, the rest of Cheryl’s family moved to Monmouth and the Martin family established a homestead.

After graduating from OCE, Cheryl landed her first teaching job in Hood River in 1957. Although a great place to live, she found that she spent most of her non-teaching time driving up and down I-84 and I-5 visiting friends and family, so she decided to look for something a bit closer. She landed in the Parkrose School District, where she taught elementary school the remainder of her career. Cheryl arrived at a great time when many other young teachers were hired, and she quickly developed life-long friends and co-workers. Those fun days were filled with card games, bowling leagues, ukulele playing (courtesy of Louie Cava), dancing, and other impromptu get-togethers.

In those early Parkrose years, Cheryl lived with her friend Bev (Dixon). Although they taught at different schools in the district, they still spent time together outside of work. At Bev’s school, there were a few teachers she spent time with, most notably a fellow by the name of Joe Inglesby. Bev was credited with arranging the first outing that involved Cheryl and Joe. To pull this off, she had to go to very extreme measures: get married. It was at Bev and Jim Dixon’s wedding that she finally got Cheryl and Joe to meet. With careful planning and persistent coaxing, Bev managed to convince Joe (and Louie) to take Cheryl out after the wedding reception was winding down. Although the timeline after that day is cloudy, it was clear that Joe and Cheryl were a good match.

Joe and Cheryl were married July 31, 1965 (or as Joe likes to state it with a large grin: “Joe came alive in ‘65”). The stories about that day did not involve the wedding itself, but the weather. Portland was in the middle of a heat wave, which helped make those days memorable for anyone dressed up for the ceremony. They enjoyed a trip to the Oregon coast for their honeymoon. Before starting their family, Joe and Cheryl accomplished a cross-country trek in their station wagon, a fantastic trip that only two teachers would have the time to pull off!

In 1973, Joe and Cheryl moved from their house on Wasco Street in east Portland to a new house in Gresham. Their ‘big blue house’ was one of the first in the area, with nothing but grass fields out their back yard. The cul-de-sac and large yard were ideal for raising a family.

Cheryl and Joe had three children, Jeff, Trent, and Megan. She stopped teaching for about eight years to stay at home and raise her kids, and rejoined the Parkrose staff once her kids were in elementary school.

While the 1980s were busy with the demands and schedules of teenage kids, Cheryl always found a way to make time for a family dinner every night. Never once did she complain or act like it was too much of a production. She enjoyed preparing a home-cooked meal and recognized the importance of a family eating together. During this same time, Cheryl’s favorite past time became Barlow… whether it was helping with homework (proof reading and typing essays on her ‘manual’ typewriter) or watching the athletic events of her kids.

Once her kids were in college, her time was spent providing similar support but from a distance. Whether it was road trips for games, driving down to Corvallis to grocery shop, or making a batch of cookies for a care package, family remained a focal point and every effort was made to be involved. It was during this era that her famous “Christmas Cookie Parties” really gained in popularity. The Inglesby Family traditions of decorating home-made sugar cookies with frosting became a holiday highlight as friends returned home from college and were able to re-connect. At the peak, as many as 50 people decorated cookies and each new person at the door was greeted with a warm welcome. The Gresham Outlook even ran a story about it, thanks to an ‘insider tip’ from Bev.

Cheryl retired from teaching in 1993 and enjoyed her free time after retirement. She liked any social event, whether it came in the form of family game nights, athletic events, getting together with her card group, or being involved with her kids, their spouses, and grandchildren. Cheryl remained in touch with her Parkrose friends, getting together with them for monthly breakfasts and card games. While she was content to enjoy some pastimes alone (reading, crosswords), she always preferred to have friends and family involved. Without a doubt, her favorite activity was providing the BEST childcare for her grandchildren, always (eagerly) available at moment’s notice.

Cheryl also enjoyed traveling and vacations. Any family vacation qualified as a ‘favorite.’ The location did not matter, as long as everyone was together. Some places she really enjoyed were Diamond Lake, McCall, and trips to The Doggett’s beach house in Lincoln City.

Simply stated, Cheryl was a family oriented person who will be remembered as being a caring and giving person. She leaves behind a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life she touched will always remember Cheryl Martin Inglesby. She will be sorely missed.

Cheryl is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 48 years, Joe, her siblings Barry and Pam, her three children, and five grandchildren (Kolby, Rhett, and Darby Cooper; Evan and Drew Inglesby). Services were held at Bateman Carroll in Gresham. Cheryl was laid to rest at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.