Cheryl Jean (Grafton) Giles

Cheryl Giles was called home on Saturday, January 18, 2025. She was born in Columbus, MS, on December 9, 1945. 

Cheryl was raised in Philadelphia and Laurel, MS, and was a 1964 graduate of R.H. Watkins High School. She raised her family in Laurel and spent the last 33 years of her life as a resident of Gatlinburg, Newport, and Sevierville, TN. 

Cheryl’s foundation was her faith. She loved Jesus and served Him through loving and ministering to others, making them feel loved, included, and accepted. Cheryl was full of love and care for everyone but especially those who struggled and needed a soft place. She loved unconditionally and was the glue for her family. We feel fortunate to have been raised by such a giving and loving mother. 

She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Jerry Leonard Giles; her parents, Carleen and Julian Grafton; and Jerry’s parents, Mary Giles McCraney and Palmer Giles. 

She is survived by her four daughters, Jennifer Lacy (Billy), Amy Williams (Kirk), Mary Ellen Rudd (Celeste), and Emily Giles; her grandsons, Jared McAlister, Elijah Lacy, and Uriah Williams; her sisters, Linda Patterson, Karen Weeks (John), and Susan Morgan (Mark); her brother, Ken Grafton (Hope); and many nieces and nephews and their children. 

Special thank you to friends and family who helped us take care of our mother in her final days: Abigail Sierra, Katie Miles, and Michelle Smith; the wonderful staff on the 3rd floor and in the Emergency Department at LeConte Medical Center; and the loving and caring staff at Smoky Mountain Post-Acute and Rehabilitation Center.

Family will gather for a celebration of life to memorialize and honor Cheryl in both Tennessee and in Mississippi.

Arrangements by Stetzer-Bales Funeral Home.

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