Cheryl Lynn Rogers, 67, passed away peacefully on August 25, 2025 at her home in Ankeny, surrounded by her friends and neighbors. Though she put up a heck of a fight, cancer eventually got the best of her.
Cheryl was born on July 19, 1958 in Sergeant Bluff, the youngest of three children. Growing up on her family’s farm, she enjoyed riding horses, participating in 4H, and playing basketball and softball for Sergeant-Bluff Luton High School. She attended Iowa State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1981.
After graduation, Cheryl settled in Ames and lived there for several years before eventually moving to her dream home in Ankeny. For nearly all of her 35-year career, Cheryl worked in laboratory and administrative roles at Mary Greeley Medical Center, retiring at the end of 2016.
Cheryl was always active. She enjoyed the theater, and even acted in a handful of Ames Community Theater productions. She was also a talented and prolific quilter – many family members and friends have a handmade quilt or two that they proudly use and display.
Cheryl was especially known for her cooking. She constantly challenged herself to learn new techniques, create new recipes, and enter cooking competitions. Indeed, the Thanksgiving turducken of ‘99 has become an enduring family legend. Cheryl especially enjoyed entering dishes in the Iowa State Fair, her “annual 2-week bake ‘n take.” She was a formidable competitor, and always came home with handfuls of ribbons, along with new recipes and stories from spending time with her Fair friends.
Cheryl was preceded in death by her father Robert Rogers and brother Kent Rogers. She is survived by her mother Glennis Rogers of Sergeant Bluff; her brother and sister-in-law Randy and Julie Rogers of Sergeant Bluff; her sister-in-law Lorene Rogers of Weatherby Lake, Missouri; her aunt Delores Crichton of Hemet, California; and three generations of nephews and nieces.
Cheryl’s infectious laughter, cooking, and Scrabble-playing skills will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Cheryl’s memory to the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation, https://www.blueribbonfoundation.org/. A celebration of Cheryl’s life will be planned for a later date, and will be announced on Cheryl’s Facebook page.
