Sheridan Lee Mills DIal (Sherry) May 23, 1934- July 25, 2025 Sheridan Lee Mills was born to Roy Richard (Phillips) Mills and Margaret (Burmeister) Mills in Kellogg, Idaho. Her mother was reading about the American Civil war and named her after Generals Sheridan and General Lee and their battle at Five Forks, Virginia. She was born into a large family of historic settlers who became miners, dairymen, store-keeps and statesmen, and whose lives and stories set the scene for her love of her family, and history, and her sense of place. Sherry was a child of the Great American depression. Her father started work where he could use his mechanical prowess at the family dairy. He was encouraged to learn about the newest technology, refrigeration, and soon became a refrigeration engineer. As a result the Sherry attended 11 schools in 12 years. The family moved each time he set up refrigeration systems throughout the Northwest. Sherry participated in Rainbow Girls, Camp Fire Girls, drama, debate, art and cheerleading wherever she attended school. She was the oldest of the cousins and often gathered them up to read to them and lead the gang. She loved to read and especially loved biographies of leaders and history. Despite the multiple moves they stayed connected to family in Kellogg, Idaho; Northport, Washington and the Spokane Valley. Sherry’s parents fulfilled their dream to settle down and made a final move to the Spokane Valley where they bought a home and acreage in time for Sherry to finish high school as a Central Valley Bear in 1952. Sherry worked at the Behm’s Creamery in Dishman, and then went to work for Washington Water Power where she was a computer key punch operator. She was highlighted on the WWP Reddy Kilowatt float in 1953. She met and fell for the charming Dennis Dial, they ran off to the Hitchin’ Post in Coeur d Alene, Idaho and started their new life together. Sherry and Dennis bought acreage from the Waybright Asparagus farm in the Spokane Valley and built their first house. They quickly populated their home with Roy, Lorraine, Margaret and Russell as well as a variety of horses, dogs and cats. In addition to visits to their Valley home they stayed in close touch with family in Northport and Kellogg. Sherry loved to cook. She collected recipes, cookbooks, and experimented with ingredients. She was an expert of making amazing dishes out of the simplest ingredients, and with whatever tools she had to cook. Whether it was SPAM, apple pie picked from the wild tree, Elk steak, or potato soup she figured out how to cook it on the open fire, or in her home kitchen. She knew the magic of spices, stretching an ingredient, and presentation of a meal. No one ever went hungry. She and a group of hunting widows created and ran a Wild Game dinner for years where everyone potlucked their favorite wild fish and game. They continued until the men’s annual hunts dwindled and huckleberry pie was the main course. Sherry and Dennis purchased an abandoned cabin and land on the Northport family Phillips ranch, and it became the idyllic second home during summers, and winter snowmobiling. The cabin had no running water or electricity. Sherry taught the kids the ways of the pioneers; hauling water from the stream, cooking on the wood stove or open fire, using kerosene lamps, and maintaining a busy outhouse. She taught the kids how to love the outdoors, respect the river, and created an appreciation for the history of the land as it was revealed it was once a thriving Native American fishing village, and then a location of a Chinese mining encampment. Art, swimming, boating, reading, time with the Phillips cousins, and occasionally horseback riding filled the days and nights. During the school year she busied herself as a Cub Scout leader, school and good cause volunteer, and joined Beta Sigma Phi, the social sorority for women. She maintained her friendships and family connections making regular trips to see classmates, family and cousins. Sherry and Dennis built a second house in their Valley horse field. Every night after work Dennis would work on their dream house and in 1965 they moved to the house on the hill. In the late 1970’s the horse fields were developed into Snoopy’s addition and the home address changed to 10th and Burns. Their home was the center of activity and always had extra kids, cousins, and family friends. It wasn’t unusual for there to be an extra person or two stay at the house while they passed through town, went to school, transitioned in life, or even had a honeymoon! Everyone was welcomed, helped, and fed. As the kids turned to teens Sherry assisted in the office at the bustling Ski-doo dealership and construction company. She supported her husband’s passions of hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and racing. She showed up as the supportive parent and spouse wherever she was called to be, and yet always had dinner on the table at the end of the day. When the kids left the house and grandkids came along Sherry opened Dial Daycare and became Grandma Sherry to the kids of the Spokane Valley. She had a license to care for 38 children, expanded the garage into an additional playroom and offered preschool to after school care until she retired at 78 years old. Grandma Sherry and her team cared for hundreds of children in the Spokane Valley during her 30 years of business.
After the death of her husband, and her best friend Marcie, Sherry started hanging out with Marcie’s widower, Doug, whom she’d known since junior high. The two adventured to Gonzaga games in Las Vegas, took countless drives, visited old haunts and enjoyed each other’s companionship until his death in 2023. Sherry continued to enjoy life, friends, cousin lunches, family, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren until her death. She lunched, went to plays, enjoyed concerts and especially time with her family. Sherry intended to live to 100, and invited everyone at her 90th birthday to her centennial event. In her spare time she continued her love of history and met the archeologists at EWU where she assisted, gathered her friends and they jointly conducted digs of the cabin land and researched the additional history of the Upper Colville tribe and the Northport land. She was proud of being named as a contributor in a college paper. She joined The Westerners International, a local history club. She remained active in the group until her death and supported the Rockford Historical Society, the Stevens County Heritage Network, Northport Historical Society and their Welcome Center and Museum, and the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum and the Spokane Valley Arts Council, and the Spokane Valley Summer Theater. She was an avid reader with a passion for history and biographies. She devoured newspapers, all publications, and loved to discuss current and historic events. Sherry was surprised to learn she had cancer in July of her 91st year. She elected to not take treatment, and instead stay home, eat and drink anything she wanted, read books and enjoy her family.
Thanks to Hospice of Spokane she was able to peacefully pass in her home surrounded by family. Many thanks go to her doctors at Multi-Care, Hospice of Spokane, her family and cousins and friends with whom she stayed in contact to the end. She was welcomed into heaven her parents, Margaret and Roy Mills, her daughter Lorraine, son Russell, husband Dennis, her brother in law Earl, friends Doug, Marcie, Barb, Carol, Betty, many others, and all of her cousins and relatives. She is survived by her son Roy (Bev), daughter Margaret (Doug), 7 grandchildren; Nathan, Holly (Bill), Jacob, Marcie, Merrilee (Alex), McKenna (Kyle) and Corbin. She had 14 great grandchildren, Natalie, Janelle, Samantha, Bill, Greta, James, Jack, Lily, Silas, Tobias, Lucas, Douglas and Evelyn. In addition her little sister Dulcie, Niece Linda and nephew Brett and their families, and Son in law Pete, Daughter in law Kerry, and dozens of cousins.
**In Lieu of flowers memorial are suggested to Hospice of Spokane,121 S Arthur St, Spokane, WA 99202; or the Northport Historical Society Museum Project, PO Box 93, Northport, WA 99157. A Memorial service will be held at Darcy’s Restaurant and Spirits, 10512 East Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley, WA 99206 on Friday, August 22 from 4-6 p.m.
All are welcome.
