Sherryl Scott

Our Mother Sherry was born Nov. 30, 1947, to Ada Ray and John Ernst at the US Air Force base in Wiesbaden, West Germany.  Her father died in 1979 and her mother in 1984, and she just lost her only sibling, brother John, last year.  It is a consolation that they are now all together again.  After infancy in Germany our mother was blessed to grow up throughout the 1950s until the age of 13 in Madrid, Spain, where her father was assigned to the US operations at Torrejon Air Force Base.   After Spain she grew up in various bases in the US ending with March AFB in Riverside, where she met Vaughn’s father, Sterling  at Riverside Community College and subsequently married him .  After four years in San Clemente, CA, she made a new beginning with husband Art Schwaiger moving to Ridgecrest, CA, to follow in her father’s footsteps working in missile programs at China Lake Naval Weapons Center.  In 1974 she and Art had her second son, Aaron.  After continuing her career at Point Mugu Naval Air Station and living in Port Hueneme, CA, from 1979-85,  she returned on her own to Ridgecrest to continue to raise Aaron as Vaughn was now at the seminary.  Although she raised her sons Catholic and had always had a Catholic family background, she had never been baptized herself and in 1988 received  the sacraments of initiation through RCIA.    In these years in Ridgecrest she met her husband Michael Scott and Father Vaughn  witnessed their marriage July 15, 1995, at the Santa Barbara Mission.  In 2006 she and Michael decided to fulfill their dream of living in the forest and moved to Naples,  Idaho, less than 30 miles from the Canadian border.  Despite declining health she was able to spend these last years of her life with Michael surrounded by her Great Danes and the natural environment and wildlife she loved.       Our mother embodied the free spirit of the era of her youth all her life and lived life to the full the way she wanted to live it.  She made friends easily and had a deep empathy for those in need. She loved animals and always had an array of pets.   As a mother she gave her sons many wonderful opportunities and experiences and fully supported us in our vocation to Priesthood and call to service in the United States Army.  She helped make us who we are today.  She cherished  Michael who was such a loving and hard-working husband, and such an outstanding and gentle caregiver at the end of her life. She was very proud of her daughter-in-law Karrie and only grandchild Brian, and was a loving aunt to nieces Courtney and Kimberley and nephew Stephan.     We miss her but we know this is just a temporary goodbye and not a final farewell, and that is why we are here today celebrating her life.  Thank you for being here and celebrating and praying with us.   Father Vaughn Winters and Major Aaron Schwaiger