In 1984 (I think), Jim and Shery came to visit us in the Bahamas. We were living on our 36’ sailboat, BLOWN AWAY. They flew in on a very small plane to a very small runway, not an airport, at Staniel Cay, Exuma, Bahamas. We picked them up and sailed north to one of our favorite, very remote, anchorages, Bell Island. (Today Aga Khan owns it. It is just south of Johnny Depp’s private island.) Just as we got on course and had the sails set, Jim got very excited over something he saw in the water. We said, “Yeah, Jim, we see lots of exciting stuff all the time.”” We slowly maneuvered over to see what he was talking about but it had disappeared. (When he got the film developed-yes, it used to take days-and we saw what he photographed, we were shocked to see a whale shark-something we had never seen and is rarely photographed!) We spent days in our beautiful anchorage, snorkeling, fishing, exploring, and bathing/cooking, using our boat supply of fresh water. Normally, for the 2 of us, we could make it at least 2 or 3 months on 100 gallons of water (our boat only held 100 gallons of fresh water). While we were trying to be gracious hosts, we did mention water conservation more than once. Jim, George, and I were using salt water for all of our needs with just a small amount of fresh water rinse. Shery had that long, thick beautiful head of hair that required a lot of water to wash. In preparation for her return flight, she wanted a really good shower. I told her I would turn on the boat hot water heater and she could take a real shower and use all of the water she needed. She said, “NO! I am a real trooper and I will use salt water like everyone else!” And she did. It was not a simple procedure, as we used 5 gallon buckets of salt water and poured it over her, her screams were fairly softly uttered-it would have been a lot easier just to step in the shower below deck. Her “real trooper” description stuck with us. We still quote her expression when we conquer a difficult task always thinking of Shery’s determination and ability to conquer. When Shery made up her mind she was going to do something, she did it. I can still see her smile when we told her we were real troopers just like her on many occasions in later years.
Today is her birthday. I just had mine a few days ago. She never let me forget I am older than her. We always shared birthday wishes; it gave her an opportunity to rub it in. I so miss her. Know that she loves you so much and her spirit is with you in all that you do. Emily and Rob-you are real troopers, just like your mother!
Filed under: Friends of Shery
Emily-Happy Birthday! Though your mother is not there with you today, I hope you can feel her love and support-always-in all you do. Know that her love and support for you is never-ending. She was so happy to see you 32 years ago today. You were such a beautiful baby! Your parents were – and are – so proud of you! We are, too.
I did not forget your Mother’s 63rd birthday April 23-just couldn’t get the remembrance on the computer. I missed being able to call her and commiserate the numbers-big numbers! I’m only 15 days older but she always made her point of being younger than me. It is so easy to picture her in my favorite photo of us in college dancing at DG party. She is wearing a beautiful silver and brown lace-look paper dress with silver glittered hose-we wore hose back then everywhere. She had the haircut I’m seeing today a lot lately, almost shaved short on one side and a long curve forward toward the face on the other side. Amazing that hairstyle came back (kinda). We had a great time with the live band dancing the night away. When I get my hands on that photo, I will give you a copy. She was the talk of the campus with the paper dress. She was always a fashion icon wearing Mr. B’s dress shop latest. I miss laughing with her about the good times we had together. Fact is, I just miss her.
Have a wonderful birthday today. 32 is a good place to be. Enjoy it!
We love you,
George and Wanda
I think of your dear mother Shery so often! We shared a love of blue & white and little stuff! And I have so many little things she gave me through the years! I’ve been on a mission to clean my “office/workshop” for about a week and Catherine was here one day and she said “why are you keeping this walnut shell with a candle in it?” I said, “because Shery gave it to me!”
Shery and I always had fun and we enjoyed each other’s company. And of course I still and always will miss her.
Filed under: Friends of Shery, Photos | Tags: creative, cross stitch, Emily, Ham, Hamilton, high school, humor, laughter, Rob
I first met Sharon (Shery) when I moved to Dallas in 1963. We were in high school. I was new to the area and Shery became a great friend to me. She was one of the top cheerleaders and always had a smile on her face and a ton of friends. Although she was petite she could spring high into the air. She had the most powerful legs I have ever seen. She always delivered her cheers with perfection.
Her parents had a store called Mr. B’s. For many years I loved to shop there during high school, college and long after. It was there I saw Shery often. Then I married and moved from Texas and lost touch with Shery.
In 1978 our family moved to Shreveport. I unexpectedly ran into Shery while waiting at Sear’s to get a baby picture taken. We immediately picked up our friendship again.
Several years later my family left Shreveport when Shery was pregnant with Rob. The big debate was whether he should be called Hamilton – to be shortened to Ham!! Trust me, we were all in favor of Rob and NOT Ham! The debate was o interesting and challenging for Jim and Shery.
My memories of Shery are precious. She was always a nice person to everyone. She had an infectious smile and lovely demeanor. She was always a pleasure to be around. Her abundant talents are too many to list, and she was always willing to share them with everyone. She had the patience of a saint.
Shery taught me to needlepoint and cross-stitch. I enjoyed all the projects she helped me with. I still have a pillow she made for me in 1979. It has been on my sofa all these years. I love the butterflies and how they represent the transistions we go through in life.
Shery faced many transitions, but she never let her illness or accident get her down. Her sense of humor always tickled me during our telephone conversations. Just a small example was how she described her leg “like a shish kabob,” and the way she wore her hair as a “comb over” after her cancer radiation treatments. She laughed her way through those tests.
I sent a perfume to Shery called “Beautiful.” It was a favorite of my mother’s, who also suffered with illness.
Emily, your wonderful mom left to your family a “Beautiful” legacy in the way she lived her life. She appreciated all things beautiful. She never let her disability get her down. She was blessed with talents and we, as her friends, were blessed with her gifts. Her friendship was a treasure.
My mother (Ovela Stults) and Jo Batliner were the best of friends and still are. Each week the ladies (our mothers) had what they call a sewing club get-together. Let me tell you one thing: I never saw one thing that they sewed. Shery and I hated the days of sewing club (all the girls did) and dreaded going home those days. After the sewing club meeting was over and school was out and we would get home, it never failed that we would get the 4th degree about what was going on in life. As Shery and I learned later, Sewing Club was just a fancy name for Gossip Group (GG). Any time someone got into trouble it was repeated at the GG and guess what, all the rest of us got into trouble also. In other words, we did not do the crime, but we all did the time. In hindsight, it really gave us all a heads up on what would happen if we did the crime. I think we ended up being better people for it. More time to think about our actions than the reactions to them.
When we were in 9th or 10th grade, I decided I wanted to try out to be a cheerleader. I talked to Shery about it and she agreed to help me with a routine for tryout. She was so good teaching me (I was terrible). She coached me right up until tryouts. As I watched the competition try out, I realized why Shery had said cheerleading was not easy. She gave me a lot of encouragement and help, but I did not have what it took to be one. But I never learned that from her.
Filed under: Friends of Shery | Tags: accident, Amanda Self, cross stitch, Emily, framing, Gene Self, Rob
She was here such a short time. We hardly knew her. Shery was the most creative person I ever met. Truly, she was an artist.
I first met her in Dianne Roper’s quaint little shop in Pierremont Common, In Stitches, she had displayed some needlework in frames–Shery’s framing–and Shery was passing out her business cards.
It didn’t take long. Women were buying materials, thread, fabric at In Stitches, then home to begin our “therapy” (house, meals, laundry, children, activities; it could be overwhelming) and all spare moments were used in our needlework. And when the project was completed, it was off to Shery’s frame shop. So often, many of us didn’t know what we wanted, and Shery would take our project and present the many options of frames, borders (or not) and if we couldn’t make up our mind, we would ask her which one SHE liked. Shery’s pick was invariably the one we went with and really liked.
Her framework graces my walls and, to this day, people still ask who does my framing.
Her children were beautiful; they looked like they stepped out of a storybook, only a year apart, Emily and Rob.
Opening day of school, South Highlands Elementary on August 29, 1983: I am seated in a kindergartner’s chair, my little girl standing next to me, hovering close, the room is crowded with other mommies and their five-year-olds and across from me is Shery Reeves. We smile in acknowledgment, our children’s eyes meet, Emily, with dog ears, peering out from her mother’s side, spots Amanda and they stare at each other, recognizing one another from the frame shop but not saying anything, not smiling. I lean over and tell Amanda “you remember Miss Shery, we have been to her frame shop and that’s Emily, her little girl, you remember Emily.” She does not acknowledge anything, just keeps her eyes fixed on Emily. I notice that Shery does the same thing: “you recognize Miss Gene and her daughter, Amanda, they were by the frame shop just last week.” Emily’s eyes stayed glued to Amanda’s.
Funny the things we never forget.
After the accident, Shery was in the hospital for several days, perhaps weeks and the children were farmed out to neighbors, but one evening I received a call from Jim.
He needed Emily and Rob to stay at a neighbor’s for two nights, maybe three–work, hospital, home–he only had two hands. He had found a place for Rob, but Emily would only stay with us. I told him Emily could stay as long as she liked.
Amanda was thrilled–a sister for two, maybe three nights! Emily was always a joy.
With much love and fond remembrances, Gene Self.
Filed under: Friends of Shery | Tags: costume, halloween, Hearne, Suzanne, witch
I remember one Halloween we were invited to the Reeves for a family Halloween party. When we arrived we saw Shery in the front yard dressed as a witch. She was having so much fun with all of the trick-or-treaters. I decided to stay in the front with her–what a surprise when the children would come to the front door they saw a real live witch!!!!!! Fun was had by all!
Filed under: Friends of Shery | Tags: Anne Rogers, computer, creativity, inspiration, motivation, physical help
It is still very difficult for me to really realize your Mom and my best friend is gone even after 2 years. I have a picture of her smiling face sitting on my desktop next to my computer screen and look at her every time I sit down…which is many times a day. Specific stories or antics I cannot bring to my memory per se…I wish I could. I think it is hard for me in your mom’s case because your mom and I were together so much and talked every day, many times a day, that our lives were so enmeshed that nothing really sticks out. I can say that I was the physical help for your Mom til she died and she was my inspiration, my motivator, my source of creativity and my constant companion. I have never had such a close friend as Shery and never will again…that I am sure of.
