Cheryl Terese (Houghton) Merchant (65) of Effingham

On the morning of July 26, 2023, Cheryl Terese (Houghton) Merchant of Effingham, Illinois, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family. Cheryl was 65 years old.

Cheryl was born in the city of Beloit in Rock County, Wisconsin on May 15, 1958. She was the third child, and the second daughter of Harley David Houghton and Joyce Yvonne (Hovland) Houghton. On December 27, 1980, she married Douglas Paul Merchant at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mount Morris, Illinois. Cheryl was an alumna of Mount Morris High School (class of 1976); Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois (A.B., Speech Pathology, 1980); and Northern Illinois University (M.A., Speech Pathology, 1984). She was a passionate caregiver and nurturer not only to her family, but also to the many children and adults she had the privilege of serving during her long career as a speech-language pathologist for public schools in the Lanark, Chadwick, Milledgeville, Dakota, and Effingham school districts, and later in skilled nursing settings at facilities throughout southern and central Illinois. She retired from Odin Care Center in Odin, Illinois in 2021, after nearly 20 years of service to that community. In addition to her career as a speech-language pathologist, Cheryl also had the joy of spending several years as a stay-at-home mom in Lena, Illinois, caring for her young children and providing in-home daycare for many families in and around the community during that time. She was an avid gardener, golfer, skier (both snow and water), scrapbooker (slash “wine enthusiast”), and traveler. Memorable trips include visits to Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, the Virgin Islands, and Hawaii; as well as frequent golf trips to Arizona and visits with family in Colorado. Her warm-hearted personality, sparkling smile, and boundless love for life, family, and friends will be dearly and deeply cherished by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Cheryl is survived by her husband, Doug; children Aaron Merchant of Urbana, IL; Cliff Merchant (Susan Weston) of Avon/Eagle-Vail, CO; Jacqlyn (Jackie) Merchant-Abdar (Omid Abdar) of Champaign, IL; Alex Merchant of St. Louis, MO; siblings Debby (Richard) Johnson, Robeline, LA; Kris Houghton, Berthoud, CO; Craig (Renee) Houghton, Rock City, IL; Angela Ochoa, Bolingbrook, IL; Scott (Sherrie) Houghton, Golden, CO; sisters-in-law Susan Bracken, Ocala, FL; Betsy (Ron) Myatt, Herrin, IL; Patricia (Jim) Elliott, Frederick, MD; Debra Merchant, Mt Carroll, IL; brothers-in-law David Merchant, Lanark, IL; Donald Merchant (Mary Woods), Freeport, IL; Jose Ochoa, Jr., Batavia, IL; step-mother-in-law Virginia Merchant, Bettendorf, IA; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; father-in-law Paul K. Merchant; mother-in-law Elizabeth J. (Fuchiek) Merchant; and sisters-in-law Sara (Daehler) Merchant and Rebecca (Holland) Houghton.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, August 19, 2023, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mount Morris, Illinois. A visitation will be held from 10:00am to 12:00 noon, with memorial services beginning at 12:00 noon, immediately followed by a luncheon in the church fellowship hall. A Celebration of Life gathering / open house will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at Village Wine & Spirits in downtown Effingham, Illinois from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Cheryl’s family invites you to be with them and share in her memory. Arrangements are being made through Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The American Cancer Society or the Carle Health Center for Philanthropy. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here.