Sherrie Kistine Rackley Nelson was born August 14, 1955 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. She was the oldest child born to Norman Pratt Rackley and MarJean Slaymaker Rackley, and belonged to their family that also consisted of Brothers; Glenn, Steven and Craig, and sister; Marla, Mary Ann, and Christine.
She was a Gleaner girl and earned 2 sashes when she was young. She learned how to play the piano and participated in drama. Her parents took to BYU for some of her drama classes. She even wrote her own play.
She graduated from Cottonwood High in 1973 with honors. She went on to Dixie College in St. George Utah, where she met Douglas William Nelson in a Dixie College Institute class, they only dated 8 days before he asked her to marry him. They were married on October 11, 1974 in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple for time and all eternity. Children followed quickly behind, Paul David in 1975, Amber Elaine in 1976, Timothy Pratt in 1978, Marissa Anne in 1980, and Dianah Kistine in 1984.
Along with meeting Douglas at Dixie College she graduated with an associate’s degree in science. After the birth of Dianah she returned to school where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in secondary education with an emphasis in physics from Utah State University in 1992. She got her first job at Roy High School in Roy Utah, she taught there for 6 years. While there she was the teacher of a presidential scholar student and had the opportunity to meet President Clinton and his wife Hillary. She then moved to Henderson Nevada in 1998. She taught at Rancho High School in Las Vegas Nevada for 5 years, then Foothill High School for 1 year. During that time she returned to school and earned her Master’s degree in Educational Administration from NOVA South Eastern University. She then got a job at Roy Martin Middle School as an International Bachelorette Administrator; and she worked there for 5 years. She then taught at Las Vegas High School for 3 years till she passed away. She loved her students, and teaching. She touched many students’ lives that other teachers had given up on, and changed their lives for the better.
Some of her hobbies were quilting, playing the piano, sewing, Family history, reading, painting, and cross stitching. She was able to pass some of these hobbies on to her children. Her favorite hobbies were doing family history and quilting and she would spend hours doing these outside of teaching school.
She was an active member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints her entire life. She held various church callings, some of them were in Primary presidency’s, young women’s presidency, relief society teacher, gospel principles teacher, ward family history consultant, and she also served in the cub scouts. Her favorite calls were in the cub scouts and gospel principles teacher. She loved sharing the gospel with others and teaching gospel principles was one way she did so. In cub scouts she was able to help the boys earn patches and accomplish the goals they set for themselves. She loved Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and she taught her children how to love them also.