The family of Cheryl Gunn is deeply grieved to announce her unexpected but peaceful passing on September 18, 2026.
Cheryl was born July 25, 1947 in Fremont NE to Beulah (Gardner). As a toddler, she and Beulah moved to Deshler NE, when Beulah met and married Melvin Schoenfeld, and together they formed a small, unconventional, and happy family. She grew up surrounded by both her extended Schoenfeld family and the widely branching Gardner clan, including her older brother Ronald, and began her lifelong love of 1950s rock and roll. She was graduated from Deshler HS in 1965 and, after a brief tour of cosmetology college, married Donald Gunn of Republic KS. They moved to Superior and joined the fun-loving community that Superior was in that era. Don and Cheryl soon added Angela and Darrin to the population. She spent the rest of her life in Superior.
The seventeen-year-old Cheryl would have been surprised to read the previous sentence. She earned a Regents scholarship to UNL, but went to beauty school instead; she never became a stewardess; she never moved to Las Vegas – all goals at one point or another. Instead, life unfolded in glorious mayhem. Over the years she embraced the rise and fall of Don’s agribusiness, an infinite number of pets, a constant stream of her children’s friends checking in, nearly a quarter century of employment at Walmart (to which she was so committed that some in town referred to her as “Mrs Wallyworld”), morning gatherings of coffee friends, a legendary streak of luck at the casinos she loved to visit but rarely left with less money than she started with, and – later in life – travels near and far with family, including a once-in-a-lifetime cruise to Alaska.
She was ferociously committed to being part of her grandchildren’s lives, traveling many miles to attend games and performances, and spending her last night in Paris last year shutting down an Irish bar with part of her extended multi-generational clan. She loved sports, coffee, travel, summer, talking to strangers, sauerkraut pizza, finding amazing bargains in thrift shops, photography, and a good story about what was happening in her kids’ and grandkids’ lives. She would be extremely annoyed to know she’s missing football season.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Beulah and Melvin; her brother and sister-in-law, Ron and Beverly Donahue of Boulder, CO; and her husband, Donald. Absolutely wrecked at her passing but celebrating her life are Darrin and his wife Angel McMullen-Gunn; Angela and her partner Jonathan Espenschied; grandchildren and bonus grandchildren Lucian Gunn, Sarah Gunn, Tobias Espenschied, and Samson Espenschied; Steve Martin, her longtime companion; many cousins, in-laws, nieces, and nephews; and more friends than we can begin to list or honestly even wrap our heads around. To all of them we give thanks for the slightly chaotic, never dull life Cheryl lived with and for you. May her memory be a blessing.
Graveside Memorial Services will be help on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 1:00 pm in Evergreen Cemetery, Superior Nebraska with Betty Bouray officiating.
Honorary Pallbearers are Jared Gunn, Levi Gunn, Quartus Gunn, Dale Tyler, Travis Schoenrock, Shawnee Cool, Shiann Marr and Paul Sauvageau.
In lieu of flowers, please take a friend or two out to coffee.
Condolences may be sent to Megrue-Price Funeral Home, 750 N Commercial, Superior, Nebraska 68978 or in care of www.pricefuneralhomes.com.
Megrue-Price Funeral Home of Superior, Nebraska is in charge of the arrangements.