Cheryl Crabtree

Cheryl Lynn Crabtree (nee Walker), 65, was the firstborn of Robert Alan and the late Ladonna Rajean Walker in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. She spent the formative years of her life “up north,” frolicking in snow and drinking “pop” until moving “down south” to Ringgold, Georgia, when she was sixteen, where she happily made the transition to suntan lotion and Coke. It was in Ringgold that she met her future husband of twenty-odd years, Brian Crabtree, after she lost her wallet on a Beta Club trip and he gallantly came to her rescue by buying her dinner. After a few brief stops, they settled in Clinton, Mississippi, where they reared their three children.

Amidst the madness of managing a household of five, Cheryl enjoyed working part-time as the church secretary at the First United Methodist Church, in Clinton, Mississippi. Eventually her work with the church took her to the East Jackson District of the United Methodist church where she was blessed to work with the late Reverend Henderson Rasberry, then District Superintendent and one of her best friends. She regularly came home with happy stories from her workday or a funny anecdote about some hijinks of Reverend Rasberry’s. In time, Cheryl transitioned to work as a paralegal, and dedicated her remaining working years to the law firm Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy, where she was planning on retiring as early as was allowed in March 2020, due to ongoing health issues. She passed away unexpectedly at home this past weekend.

If you knew or met Cheryl aka “Nana” aka “Pajama” aka “NanaMia” aka “Squirrel Lady” Crabtree, then you knew that she was one of the kindest and sweetest people that you ever had the chance to meet. A proud Nana, she was always happy to brag on her children and grandchildren and shower them with treats. If you were in her circle, then she was going to be your number one fan. She loved and was very involved in church, and currently attended Crossgates United Methodist Church in Brandon, Mississippi. She frequently volunteered as an usher at her church, and also served in other capacities. Years ago, she joined the First United Methodist Church choir in Clinton, Mississippi, at the insistence of her children after she kept “auditioning” in the pew each Sunday. In retrospect, she may have feared that she wouldn’t make it if she tried out for the choir, but of course she was great and had the time of her life once she worked up the courage to join.

She had the dedication and patience to raise orphaned baby squirrels, earning her the nickname of “Squirrel Lady,” and a backyard full of grateful squirrels, some of whom would come back for frequent visits. Each Christmas she made and hand-decorated her famous Christmas cookies, which she then generously gave to local firemen, neighbors, and friends. She was a hugger, a kind, loving neighbor, a conscientious, hard-working co-worker with a bottomless candy jar, an avid bird-watcher, a talented artist, and an animal-lover. She was our number one fan. We will miss her horribly.

Cheryl is survived by her father, Robert Walker; three children, Alan Crabtree, Stephanie Tanner (Dean), and Steven Crabtree; five grandchildren, Silas Crabtree, Marley Tanner, Presley Tanner, Evie Tanner, and Greyson Crabtree; and two siblings, Mark Walker and Anita Cross.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Ladonna Walker.

A graveside service will be held at Parkway Memorial Cemetery on Saturday, January 2, 2020 at 10:00 am.