Meet Chyrel

Meet Chyrel

Chyrel was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. She grew up near Como Lake and Zoo where her dad owned a trucking company and her mom stayed at home to tend to the children and the house. The youngest of four, Chyrel liked to play outside with her sisters and brother and the neighbor kids.

After graduating from high school Chyrel joined the Marines. Shortly after entering boot camp she was given an honorable discharge and wasn’t able to finish. She moved to the Saint Cloud area in her early 20’s where she worked many different jobs to help support and raise her three children. From working at a bank to helping in the lunchroom at Tech High School, Chyrel did a little bit of everything.

Chyrel is an excellent baker and would always have something special for each holiday. Easter meant Easter nest cookies and on birthdays she made everyone fancy birthday cakes. Christmas held a great tradition that included baking special Christmas cookies and decorating the tree. Other hobbies included playing Scrabble, cross-stitch, scrapbooking and cooking family recipes that included many “Minnesota comfort foods.”

One moment in her life that was particularly memorable was leading a mission trip through her local church to Honduras. About 15 kids and adults spent two weeks building a girls orphanage. Always wanting to help people, Chyrel became a volunteer. She volunteered at the local schools and her church. Ever the leader, she put together a cookbook for the church containing many of her own family recipes along with others from the church members.

Her daughter, Katie, comes from Willmar about once a week to visit. The grandkids usually tag along to get some play time in with grandma. She has been at the Memory Cottages for a year now and enjoys it. She stays busy helping with the baking and tending to the gardens. She’s not looking forward to winter, but is glad that she doesn’t have to do her own shoveling this year. We are proud that Chyrel calls Good Shepherd home.