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Cheryl Ann Champine
FAIRMONT -- A funeral service for Cheryl Ann Champine, 68, of Fairmont, will be 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, at United Methodist Church in Fairmont. Burial will be in Lake Belt Cemetery, Ceylon, Minn. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, at Lakeview Funeral Home Fairmont, and one hour prior to the service Thursday at the church.
Cheryl passed away Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, at Goldfinch Estates in Fairmont following a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia.
Lakeview Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Fairmont is assisting the family with arrangements.
Cheryl Ann Dietz was born Dec. 25, 1948, in Fairmont, Minn., the daughter of Richard and Fern Dietz of Fairmont. She was baptized March 25, 1956, and confirmed at the Fairmont United Methodist Church.
She was united in marriage to Veryl Lloyd Champine of Ceylon, on April 19, 1969, at Fairmont United Methodist Church. Cheryl was a lifetime member of the Fairmont United Methodist Church, where she served as Christian Education Director and Secretary of Abigail Circle. She was very active in the church, often serving on multiple boards and helping with virtually all projects.
Cheryl grew up in Fairmont and graduated from Fairmont High School. During the time she was growing up, she worked with her parents and grandparents at the family business, the Greyhound Bus Depot in Fairmont. She attended North Dakota State University and then worked as a drafter for Fairmont Railway Motors and later as an engineer at Teledyne Aerospace. She left Teledyne to return to college at Mankato State University, graduating summa cum laude in 1996 with degrees in advanced mathematics and teaching. Following graduation, she taught higher math at Fairmont and St. James schools and finally at Granada High School, where she was also the Knowledge Bowl and cheerleading coach.
She was involved in many projects to help others. She was the Director of the Martin County Crisis Support Center for many years. She was also a Key Woman in the Jaycee Women, during that time she did extensive fundraising and helped organize children's projects. One of the biggest of these projects was Jamie's House, a unit near the Children's Hospital in Minneapolis where family members of sick children could stay at little or no cost while their child was in the hospital. She also ran the "Operation Christmas Child" program to collect gifts for underprivileged children.
She loved flowers and tended several gardens around the house. Following retirement from teaching, she accepted the position of Christian Education Director at United Methodist Church from 2008 to January 2012, when she retired completely.
Cheryl and Veryl traveled abroad extensively, beginning with a trip to Germany in 1969 and making numerous trips to Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Central and South America. They visited 52 countries and 47 states. She loved cruising and made many friends from all over the world. Of her favorite places, two that were near the top of the list were an apartment in Venice, Italy, and a two-week trip down the Nile River in Egypt.
Cheryl is survived by her husband, Veryl, of rural Granada; sons, Jon (Bobbi) of San Diego, Calif., Jay (Melissa) of Burnsville, and Jacques (Maggie) of Minneapolis, Minn.; three granddaughters, Georgia, Sienna, and Harper; and one grandson, Chase. She is also survived by seven sisters, Sam Frisch (Jim) of Fairmont, Donna Hoffman (Dick) of Fairmont, Doreen Holte (Peter) of Golden Valley, Cindy Mathison of Belvedere, Ill., LeAnn (Ralph) Riegel of University Place, Wash., Bonnie (Dennis) Gilliam of Fairmont, Tracy (Brian) Peymann of St. Peter; and brothers, Michael (Cheryl) Dietz of Fairmont, and Brian (Michelle) Dietz of Marengo, Iowa; and aunts, uncles, numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents; her father, Richard Dietz; her mother, Fern Lenz; stepfather, Steve Lenz; and one infant brother, Ricky.
The family requests memorials be donated to the Fairmont United Methodist Church or the charity of your choice.
www.lakeviewfuneralhome.net