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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2017)
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon TOM’S REST: Sisters woman fulfills late husbands dream Continued from page 23 Tom leaning on the counter. “He took two steps toward me and then fell. I heard his head hit the ground,” Cheryl recalled through tears. Cheryl performed CPR until the medics arrived, although she doesn’t remem- ber hearing their sirens. “Tom reached up and squeezed my arm and then his arm fell to the ground. I just kept doing CPR. I didn’t know what else to do.” She remembers sitting alone on the laundry room floor as the medics worked on Tom. “This muscular, fit, force of life was dragged by the med- ics to an open space where they had room to work. His brain was functioning but his heart wouldn’t start.” Tom was gone. They were married so young. “We raised each other. We became each other. It’s almost like he’s still here. It feels like everywhere I go, he’s leading me,” she said. Tom’s impact on others was clearly evident after his death. Cheryl found numerous awards and certificates that this humble man had received that she never knew about. The young men with whom Tom worked all wanted to be pallbearers at the funeral, fully surrounding his casket. Those same men came to the house in Sherwood to tend to the landscaping until the house sold. They come out now to help Cheryl here on the property. After the funeral, Cheryl said, nothing seemed right to do. When she made the move to Central Oregon and said she was going to follow through on Tom’s dream, “Everyone thought I was nuts,” she said. “They didn’t see that it’s what was keeping me alive.” Cheryl recently moved into Pine Meadow Village, as she was isolated out on the property. Tom’s Rest is open for business. Cheryl is renting out all the facilities to groups, couples, and individuals for a modest charge and makes it available for retreats for wid- ows, grief support groups, and healing workshops free of charge or a minimal charge. Guests may be able to do work in exchange for lodging. Two grief groups and the Ride Like a Girl bike group out of Portland are among those who have heard about Tom’s Rest. “Tom’s Rest is overflow- ing with the love you have for your husband. I will tell every- one about it,” one of the bik- ing ladies recently told Cheryl. The first weekend of October, Cheryl is offering a grief retreat for people who have lost their spouses and partners. She is recruiting volunteers who could pro- vide music and art activities, offer massage or acupuncture treatments, and counseling services. Participants will be able to experience the heal- ing energy of the property while walking the labyrinth or sitting quietly on one of the overlooks, gazing out over the peaceful landscape. “If I can keep it open and rent it inexpensively to cover taxes, utilities, maintenance, and the retreat costs, that’s what I want to do. If I could fill it every day with people who need the help, I’d be happy. If people can use it, that’s what matters,” Cheryl explained. A beautiful hand-forged gate greets arriving guests, with TOM’S REST spelled out in hand-cut metal letters and a bronzed bicycle. This dream conceived of and built by Tom and Cheryl allows Tom to go on doing what he always did – making people feel important and that they matter. “His greatest pleasure was giving to others,” Cheryl concluded. For more information, see Tom’s Rest on Facebook and on the Motion Social web- site. Cheryl can be reached at 503-332-2114. 25 The Nugget Newspaper Crossword By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service — Last Week’s Puzzle Solved — This Week’s Crossword Sponsors Pain, Injuries & Sports? Sisters Acupuncture Center Let us help. G Greg reg W Wieland i ellannd L L.Ac. A c | 27 yrs. experience i 541-549-1523 | 352 E. Hood Ave., Ste. E When the going gets tough, even the tough call us. Banr Enterprises, llc Consult | Construct | Complete Earthwork • Utilities • Grading • Rock Walls • Snow Removal Residential and Commercial Contractor CCB: 165122 www.banr.net | 541-549-6977 FALL SALE 25% OFF BLINDS! FREE Cordless Upgrade! Signature Series Only PHOTO PROVIDED Cheryl Edwards is operating Tom’s Rest as a retreat in honor of her husband Tom, who died suddenly. It is a fulfillment of his dream. 541-788-8444 • Free Consulting • Find us online at www.BudgetBlinds.com 30+ Years Experience | CCB Licensed #197715 Offer valid through Budget Blinds of Deschutes County only. Cannot be combined with any other offers. *On Signature Series. Expires 10/31/17
