Naomi Janie (Darring) Cherry

Mother Naomi Janie Darring Cherry was born on August 14, 1930, in Thomasville, Georgia, to the parents of the late Mr. Zachariah and Mrs. Janie Neal Darring. She was united in holy matrimony to the late Mr. Eugene Cherry, Sr., and to this union, nine children were born. Mother Naomi Cherry accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age and joined the Jones Street, C.O.G.I.C. She later joined the St. Paul Temple C.O.G.I.C., Coolidge, Georgia, where the late Superintendent Paul E. Hayes, Sr., was her pastor, and upon his passing, she served under the leadership of Superintendent Paul E. Hayes II, until God called her home. During her many years of service at the St. Paul Temple C.O.G.I.C., she was a missionary, a member of the adult choir, a praise leader, and served on the Mother Board. She loved the Lord and helped lead souls to Christ. Mother Cherry would always say, “Put God first in everything you do, and love one another.”

Her memory will be forever honored and cherished by: her children, Barbara J. Cherry of Thomasville, GA, Shirley J. Hancock (Wesley) of Moultrie, GA, Bobby G. Cherry (Kwandolyn) and David G. Cherry, both of Thomasville, GA, Gloria Cherry Smith (Derrick) of Hampton, GA, and Lauvenia Holland of Atlanta, GA; one sister, Deborah Austin of Thomasville, GA; two brothers, Elder Amos Darring of Jacksonville, FL, and Elder John Darring, (Ruby) of Indianapolis IN; one brother-in-law, Eugene Walker of Albany, GA; and a host of grandchildren, great-grands, great- great-grands, nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by four children, Jimmy Lee Cherry, Mamie Cherry, Eugene Cherry, Jr., and Betty Cherry; six sisters;  three brothers; and two special children, Bernadine Cochran and Benjamin Warren.