Cheral Elsbury

Surrounded over the past few weeks by the love of her family, friends and God, Cheral Elsbury passed away on December 11.  Cheral was a born cheerleader, not the kind looking to compete in national competitions but the kind that cheers on and supports the people she cares about.  Cheral graduated from Plainfield High School in 1972.  She supported her friends while in school and continued that support for her brothers, her children, her grandchildren and countless other family members and friends who became like family.  She found great joy in being there for people.  Cheral was the apple that didn’t fall far from the Betty Esamann tree.  Betty loved her sports too and was a willing friend to those in need.  Cheral created the same kind of loving spirit that brought people in, knowing they had a friend in Cheral that would do anything for them.  She had a natural engaging spirit that said to others, I care about you and I want to be there for you.  She was a great listener, a great friend and above all, a great person.  Like Betty, Cheral was a very strong force.  A focused, hard worker who was the first in the family to obtain a college degree, she parlayed that into a hugely successful career at Detroit Diesel Allison/Allison Transmission.  Due to her loving spirit, her dedication and her tenacity at her profession, she gained the respect and admiration of many of her co-workers.  Cheral wasn’t afraid to take a stand and defend what she thought was right and fair.  At times, like her mother, she could be downright stubborn.  That stubbornness came in handy when Cheral fought her battle against cancer.  In 2015, she was diagnosed with cancer... with an optimistic spirit and a strong will to live, she fought the cancer demon and was declared cancer free in 2019.  Cheral loved the water, perhaps because she was named after a boat, the Cheral Lee, that her dad saw while serving in the Navy.  Her travels would often take her to places with water, to water ski, scuba dive, houseboat or just enjoy being on the beach or on and around a lake.  After beating cancer, her appetite for doing things she always wanted to do grew and she vowed to leave nothing to chance.  The travel budget went up (if there even was one) and she and Mike were off…to Colorado, Nevada, Florida and around the Midwest, to see friends, concerts, landmarks and points of interest.  Essentially to check off the bucket list items, one by one.  Oh, and Gino Vannelli concerts every chance she could.  Cheral loved her family.  Carly and Ashley were her world, she would do anything for them, anytime day or night and that usually included any of their friends as well. Cheral and Mike helped shepherd a close-knit family whose best times were when they were all together.  They were always up for a road trip or a day on the boat at their lake.  Many of the road trips were taken to see her grandkids, Tenley and Trey play sports.  She loved them dearly and loved watching them compete with their teams.  Cheral and Mike maintained a close relationship with Cheral’s first husband, Darrell and his second family and included them in many of their family functions.  The dogs were family to Cheral and Mike as well, including Carly and Ashley’s dogs who were always welcome anytime at the Elsbury’s.  Living in the same town all her life and working at the same company for her entire career, Cheral had quite a large circle of friends and she wanted to let everyone know how much she appreciated their friendship.  She wanted to specifically mention and thank some of her closest friends for their love and support: Carolyn Slaughter, Shirlee Honey, Linda Miles, Faye Freedman, Janice Hardwick, Bill and Janet Burns, Gary and Sue Gray, David Pilcher, Chris Bush, and Katie Rush.  Cheral is survived by her loving husband, Mike Elsbury, brothers, Doug (Kim) Esamann and Brad (Kim) Esamann, her daughters Carly (Jeremy) Sumners and Ashley (Adam) Fish, grandchildren Tenley and Trey Fish and Ty, Lane and Gracie Sumners and a great grandchild Walker Luke Thomas.  She was preceded in death by all 4 of her grandparents, her parents, Bob and Betty Esamann, her father and mother in-law, Bill and Peg Elsbury, a brother in-law, Roger Warrum and a sister in-law, LuAnn Elsbury.  Funeral arrangements will be handled by Hampton Gentry Funeral Home.  Visitation will be on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at the Plainfield Christian Church, 800 Dan Jones Road, Plainfield from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm.  Services will also be at the Plainfield Christian Church immediately following the visitation at 1:00 pm.  Burial and graveside services will be at Maple Hill Cemetery 709 Harding Street in Plainfield immediately following the church service.  In lieu of flowers, if you prefer, the family invites you to make a donation to the Hendricks County Friends of the Animal Shelter (www.hcfriendsoftheshelter.org) in honor of Cheral’s well-lived life and love of animals.