Cheryl Susan Millington

With deep love and gratitude for a life rooted in faith, family, and hospitality, we announce the passing of Cheryl Susan Millington (née Hendricks), who went home to be with her Lord on Thursday, January 29, 2026.

Cheryl was born on August 17, 1957, to Edith (née Gibson) and Frank Hendricks. She was the first daughter and third child in a close-knit family. She was preceded in death by her parents, her older brother Larry Hendricks, and Larry’s twin, Gary, who passed at birth, also her great grandchildren Bayleigh and Zachary Blankenship. She is survived by her sister Raechel Gibbs (Keith), her sister Dianna Dombrowski (Steve), her brother James, and her sister-in-law, Betty. Cheryl loved her siblings dearly and made it a point throughout her life to gather often with them and their families, treasuring the connection they shared. She is also fondly remembered by her many nieces and nephews, who were an important part of her extended family circle.

Born and raised in Flint, Cheryl later moved to the Swartz Creek area, where she accepted Christ as her Savior at a young age. Throughout her youth, she attended Flint Baptist Temple, and faithful church attendance remained an important part of her life in every season. She deeply valued the friendships and fellowship she found within her church communities. She made her faith the foundation of her life, steady, guiding, and deeply personal.

At church, Cheryl met the love of her life, Richard “Rick” Millington. They were married on October 1, 1977, beginning a lifelong partnership built on devotion, perseverance, and shared faith. When Cheryl married Rick, she embraced her role as mother to Carol (Glenn Miller) and Jennifer (Dan Bott). She later welcomed her two sons, Ricky and Charles (Judy), all her children were a deep source of pride and joy in her life. Cheryl treasured her grandchildren, Kristin, Miranda, Mercedes, and Haylee, and Ava and Dylan, who brought light and laughter into her days.

Cheryl had a true gift for hospitality and homemaking. Her home was beautiful and welcoming, and she took great pride in caring for those who walked through her door. Cheryl and Rick were known for their open home and generous hearts. She was especially known for her wonderful cooking and baking, talents she shared both at home and at church gatherings. If you were fortunate enough to share a meal at her table or enjoy a dish at a potluck, you experienced one of the many ways she showed love. Her food was made with care, and it was often the first to disappear. To Cheryl, cooking was more than nourishment, it was connection, comfort, and ministry.

She also expressed her love through creativity. Cheryl was gifted at making beautiful crafts and crocheting blankets, each stitched a quiet act of care that wrapped her loved ones in warmth long after the moment had passed.

Cheryl loved to play family games, especially card games. She often appeared reserved at the table but would often end up winning. When she did win, she had a soft, knowing little laugh that no one who played against her will ever forget.

Throughout her life, Cheryl worked in roles that reflected her caring heart. Among the jobs she fondly recounted were serving as a bus driver for Grand Blanc Schools and later for the Genesee Intermediate School District working with special needs children. She also ran an in-home daycare, worked at Audicare in Gaylord, Michigan, and later became the bookkeeper extraordinaire at Lake Louise Methodist Camp, retiring in 2020. She took great pride in her work there and was known for her attention to detail and her neatly kept, organized books. In every role she held, Cheryl was a caregiver at heart, always looking after the people around her.

Cheryl took her relationship with the Lord very seriously. She made it a goal to read her Bible through each year, a practice she returned to again and again. She also treasured the times she was able to share devotionals with her sisters. Her faith was not only something she believed, it was something she lived, in prayer, in service, and in the way she loved others.

Cheryl and Rick made their dream home in Vanderbilt, Michigan, where Cheryl continued to nurture her faith at Grace Baptist Church, love her family deeply, and extend quiet kindness to those around her. She was loved not only by her relatives, but also by many friends and extended family who were blessed by her warm welcome and the generosity of her heart. She had a gentle spirit, a caring heart, and a quiet strength. She would want to be remembered sweetly and fondly, with her warmth, her individuality, and that familiar streak of loving decisiveness that made her unmistakably Cheryl.

Visitation will be held on Monday, February 2, 2026, at Nelsons Funeral Home, 135 N. Center Avenue in Gaylord, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A funeral service celebrating Cheryl’s life will be held at Grace Baptist Church in Gaylord, Michigan, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 AM. A luncheon reception for all who wish to attend will follow.

A second visitation will be held on Saturday February 7, 2026 at the Mumford-Hudson Funeral Home 116 Main St., Otisville, MI 48463, visiting will start at Noon with a prayer at 2:00 p.m. following with burial at Smith Hill Cemetery in Otisville, Michigan.

Memorial donations in Cheryl's name are appreciated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, www.cff.org, the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org, or Grace Baptist Church, www.gracebaptist.us