Sherry Slagle Lervick was born on August 16, 1947 at Wolf Point, Montana to Jerry and Nora Bawden Slagle. She was raised on the family farm north east of Alexander, ND and graduated from Alexander High School, class of 1965.

She was very lucky to have been raised in the Timber Creek area surrounded by her Slagle, and Forthun cousins. She loved to go with her family to see her Bawden and Braaten cousins on holidays and summer vacations. They lived across the river and east of Wolf Point, MT. She also looked forward to her California Bjornstad cousins' yearly visits to see their grandparents who lived in Arnegard.

Sherry and her brothers, Rich and Les Slagle were very active in 4-H while growing up and enjoyed taking their projects and steers to the McKenzie County Fair as well as being active on the livestock judging team.

The highlight of Sherry’s childhood was the birth of her sister Rini when Sherry was 12. Rini fast became “her baby” as Nora was bed ridden from complications and Sherry, and her father Jerry, quickly became caregivers for both baby and mother. Sherry’s love of cooking and baking were established at that time in her life when it was essential to keeping the family going.

Sherry married David Iverson in May of 1968. They had three children, Hal Iverson, Mike Iverson, and Suzie Iverson (Rivers). They were divorced in 1988.
Sherry received her Associate Degree in Education from Williston State College. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Montana State University - Northern, Havre, MT and graduated with a 4.0 GPA with a Master’s in School Administration from Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD.

While working on her education, Sherry worked for ten years in various banks in both ND and MT. Her first teaching job was grades 1-3 at Grassy Butte, followed by nine years at Watford City and one year at Johnson Corners. These three schools were all part of McKenzie County #1 school district. She then was an elementary school principal at Culbertson, MT, Sidney, MT, Trenton, ND and finally back to Watford City, ND. In total, she served 32 years as an educator. She was very proud to have been a teacher and school administrator. Over the years she was given many awards, with the highlight of receiving the 2007 ND National Distinguished Elementary and Middle School Principal award. She was very active in the community. Sherry was a 4-H leader for many years. She was a member of the Watford City Rotary Club as well as being a member of the Arnegard Wilmington Lutheran Church.

Sherry was very active in regional and state education organizations in both Montana and North Dakota. After retiring from being a principal, she was appointed and then elected to have the honor of being the Arnegard Municipal Judge. To say that Sherry loved a challenge in any undertaking would be a great understatement!

In the fall of 1994 Sherry met Jerome Lervick at a horse sale in Sidney, MT and on May 27, 1995 the old School Marm and the old Hay Seed Farmer were married in Arnegard, ND. At first glance it would appear that Jerome and Sherry had different interests, but actually they had the same values. Sherry valued Jerome’s honesty, inherent kindness, constant faith, sense of humor (most times) and his deep love for his animals. Jerome was her rock and she always knew he was there if she needed him. Jerome was Sherry’s match mentally and they had many lively discussions which sometimes ended with him laughing all the way to the barn and her fuming in the house. He let her fight her own battles, which in her line of work came with the job. The one constant with Sherry was that she spoke her mind and called it like she saw it. Her license plate was MOMGRIZ and if you ever tangled with her, you would clearly understand why. No one had better mess with her students! She defended and loved her teachers, but demanded that the consumers of the schools were the students and they must come first.

She is survived by her husband Jerome. Children: Hal Iverson (Tiffany) and children Hannah and Johnny, Ballantine, MT; Mike Iverson (Raelyn), Alexander, ND, children Paiten, Autumn, and Michael; Suzie Rivers (Terry), daughters Mikhala and Teagan, Maple Grove, MN; David Lervick (Mary), Spearfish, SD, children Sarah, Andrew (Rachel); Daniel Lervick (Brenda), Williston, ND, children Adam, Madison and Jessica (Tyson) Burkle; son-in-law Mark Hilleren (Daphane), Watford City, ND, children Seth (Allison) Hilleren, Arnegard, ND and Jenny (Derek) Mattalla, Bismarck, ND; Grandson Ryan Benning, Bismarck, ND and eleven great grandchildren. Her sister Rini (Steve) Coffin, brother Rich Slagle, and sisters-in-law Barb Slagle and Penny Slagle, as well as many cherished nieces, nephews and cousins. Sherry often mentioned how warm and welcoming the Sundhagen and Jacobson families were to her when she married Jerome. Their friendships were greatly valued and she loved being included in their families. Sherry was preceded in death by her parents, Jerry and Nora Slagle, her brother Les Slagle, step-daughter Cheryl Hilleren and granddaughter, Casey Benning.

Memorial Contribution