Sheryll Ann Wettering

If the Morris Daily Herald ever had a food critic, Sherry would have been hands down, the number one contender, just a shoo in for that position. There wasn't a restaurant within 100 miles that she and Bob and their supper club group didn't visit. Sheryll Ann Wettering, 83, of Morris, Illinois passed away on March 7, 2026 at the Morris Hospital surrounded by her loving husband, kids, and grandkids.

She was born in Ottawa, Illinois, on August 29, 1942 to Eileen and William Hicks. Sherry grew up in the "flats" in Ottawa. This area was flood prone and all the homes there have been replaced by Fox River Park. Before it was a park, five generations of her family lived in the neighborhood. Besides her parents, her neighbors were her grandparents, Ernest and Etta Smithson and her great-grandparents, Frank and Mattie Roberts. Her Aunt Jane and Uncle Ernest "Bud" Smithson as well as her brother and sister in law Bill and Marcia Hicks were a couple doors down. She graduated from Ottawa High School with the Class of 1960.

In 1975, after her shift at The Seven Gables, she and Jackie, Janice, Char, and Bonnie were visiting at Bud's Tap. Sherry mentioned she needed a date to a friend's wedding. The ladies joked that she should ask the next man who walked through the door to be her date, she jokingly agreed. When the next fellow walked in, he was quite a bit older, they all laughed and said, "okay the next guy" and in strolled Bob Wettering. They did go to that wedding together, were married three years later, and celebrated 47 years of wedded bliss on November 3rd.

Sherry and Bob owned The Cabaret Restaurant and the Runway Cafe in Morris during the 1990s. Her work ethic was epic. She would begin prepping for the day at the crack of dawn to ensure she served the best food possible for her lunch and dinners and was usually the last one to leave. She became lifelong friends with several of her customers and employees. She took great pride, but I think she just liked reconciling those books down to the penny, like it was a challenging puzzle.

Crossword puzzles, Scrabble, and Jeopardy, and recently Facebook entertained her. She hated even the idea of going camping; even worse was the thought of getting on a boat. She grew up playing Scrabble with her Aunt Jane Smithson. If there was such a thing as a professional Scrabble player, Aunt Jane would have been one. Sherry would take a break from work at The Cabaret to get home long enough to watch Jeopardy. If there was such a thing as a professional Jeopardy player, Sherry would have been one.

She was the two-time City of Morris Ladies Bowling Champion. She reigned in 1972 and again in 1973. She bowled in two or three leagues a week, her favorite and the team she played on the longest was sponsored by Sklut's Men's Wear on Wednesday afternoons. She and Bob had so many trophies under their bed, that it lifted it off the ground an inch or two.

In recent years, Sherry reconnected with a group of classmates and she enjoyed meeting them and getting together for lunch in Ottawa once a month. She and another group of friends played Bunco monthly, each player hosting the others at their homes. She and Bob enjoyed going out to dinner with another group of friends she still called "couple's night."

She was preceded in death by her parents and younger brother William E. Hicks. Her husband, Robert L. Wettering and her children, Jeffery (Anna) Poundstone, Stacy (Patrick) Sanders, and Teri (Jeffrey) Shaw survive her as well as her grandchildren. She took a special joy in shopping all year long seeking the perfect birthday and Christmas presents for her grandchildren. She said every year that this was the last year she was buying and wrapping presents, but she had a closet stuffed full of wrapping paper, gift bags, and bows, ready for the next holiday. She wrapped an incredible amount of gifts for Rielly (Brock) Johnson of Morris, Summer (Emily Chapman) Shaw of Madison, Wisconsin, Emily (Steven) Magnafici of Ottawa, Matthew Poundstone of Utica, Samuel Poundstone of Marseilles, Conner Shaw of Champaign, Sophia Shaw of Champaign, and her great-grandson Levi Magnafici of Ottawa. Step grandchildren, Sheila Clouse, Nicole (Eric) Bouse and Jeffrey (Christina) Prokopec and their children, Carter Clouse, Nolan, Aiden, and Wyatt Bouse and Adlina Prokopec. A brother and sister in law, Edward (Janet) Albertson of Richmond, Texas and sister in law Marcia Hicks of Arkdale, Wisconsin and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

A wake will be held Thursday, March 12 from 2:30-4:30, a funeral service from 4:30-5:00 and a dinner from 5:00-6:00 at U.C. Davis-Callahan Funeral Home located at 301 W. Washington St. in Morris.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to We Care of Grundy County at 520 W. Bedford Rd, Morris, Illinois, 60450 or donate in person in Sherry's name.