A Letter from Sandy Becker Regarding Cheryl Mann Gallardo
| Webmaster's note: Cheryl expressed her concern to me regarding the posting this letter written by her life long friend Sandy Becker. She felt that it just drew too much attention to herself. However, I think we can all agree with Sandy, that Cheryl is someone very special, and we are all very lucky to have her as our own Class Spokesperson, and loving friend. So, News Central Cheryl, too bad. I'm posting Sandy's letter anyway! David L. |
Hello Banning Graduates!
First, let me introduce myself. My name is Sandy and I have known Cheryl Mann (aka News Central Cheryl) for ….well, our entire lives. Cheryl's father and my father have been best buds for 60+ years; they grew up together, moved West together, got married around the same time, had children around the same time, and have remained close throughout the many years…… as have Cheryl and I. Since Cheryl has been keeping me "in the loop" with all of your reunion stories and information, I thought I would take this opportunity to share with all of you some juicy tidbits about the REAL Cheryl…..the one you may not know.
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First, I don't know where she finds the time (or energy) that she puts forth
on this reunion project since she has small children at home plus holds down
a job outside the home. Speaking of her children……you may not have figured
this out yet, but her children are her life. She is undoubtedly the most
dedicated mother, always has been, and her dedication has paid off. Her
adult son, Ryan, is truly every mother's dream. Her daughter, Heather, is
just as precious as Cheryl. And as for her two younger ones, I have no doubt
that they will also grow into fine young adults.
Cheryl's kind spirit and gentle heart are qualities that she has had since a very young age. A perfect example of this can be seen in the following story: When we were very young we spent many weekends up in Idyllwild while her father was building a cabin. Since we were basically "out in the woods" with no modern conveniences we amused ourselves with typical child-like games… cooling off in the cement barrels, playing hide-and-seek behind sage brush, and officiating at funerals. Yes, funerals. |
Our brothers were heartless gun-slingers who spent their time shooting poor innocent lizards with a BB gun ….and Cheryl couldn't stand to see their lifeless bodies drying out in the hot sun……so we had to give them a proper burial. Cheryl gave the last rites to hundreds of lizards over the years. That's just the kind of gal she was!
Cheryl's outgoing personality, loyalty, and love for all living things is genuine. I like to refer to her as a Mother Teresa with a bit of Mae West tossed in. I have always been envious of her ability to grow her own vegetables, keep an immaculate home, bake everything from scratch (no store bought cookies for her kids!) and still maintain that youthful quality that she has. I hope you all enjoy getting to know her again after all these years, and I'm certain you'll love her as much as I do.