May 4, 1954 - May 5, 2024
Cheryl (Harris) Bendixen was born on May 4, 1954 in Seattle, WA to Don and Gloria Harris. She died May 5, 2024 of metastatic colon cancer and is now out of pain and with her savior, Jesus Christ.
Cheryl graduated from Lewis & Clark High School in 1972. She then married the love of her life, Ken Bendixen, whom she met in Sunday School. (Ken was holding
another girl’s hand and looking at Cheryl’s legs.) Cheryl worked at Miller & Felt pharmacy beginning in her junior year of high school and continuing until she began working for Ken’s fledgling CPA firm as the office manager. They worked together for almost 40 years and built the firm together. Cheryl loved babies and wanted to get pregnant as soon as she was married. Ken was adamant that they wouldn’t have children until he was finished with school. So in 1975 they officially started trying to have a baby. Finally, in 1978 they welcomed Tami and in 1979 Keri completed the family.
Cheryl loved children so much that after hers got older she began to volunteer in the nursery at church regularly. So when grandchildren began to come along, she was ecstatic. First came Jillian, Tami’s first child. Ken thought the name was appropriate because he figured she was going to cost him “jillions” of dollars. Next came Saoirse, Keri’s daughter. And finally Scott, Tami’s second child rounded out the grandchildren.
Cheryl and Ken loved to travel and did so extensively. By the time Ken’s cancer slowed down their traveling, Cheryl said that even if they never got to travel again, she was completely satisfied. Cheryl’s greatest wish was for her children and grandchildren, along with her extended family come to know and believe in Jesus. After she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in mid-2022, she decided that she would no longer be quiet regarding her belief in Jesus and began telling anyone willing to listen about how blessed she and Ken had been, throughout their lives and especially now that she had her diagnosis. The Gospel (Good News) of Jesus is this: God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son as a sacrifice for the sin of the world, so that if anyone believes and accepts His gift of forgiveness of their sins, they will be saved. She hopes to see you all in Heaven with her.
A visitation will be held Friday, May 10, 2024, from 5:00-7:00 PM at Heritage Funeral and Cremation, 508 N. Government Way, Spokane, WA. On Saturday, May 11, 2024, all are welcome to a graveside service at 10:30 AM, Fairmount Memorial Park, 5200 W. Wellesley, Spokane, WA, and a memorial service at 2:30 PM at First Free Methodist Church, 1725 W. Courtland, Spokane, WA 99205. The memorial service will be available online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOwDbh8eEy. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be directed to First Free Methodist Church.
