Shirley Emogene (Shook) Sherlin

Shirley Emogene "Jean" Shook Sherlin was born May 26, 1938, to the late Rufus Homer and Lois Seeley Shook in Buncombe Co, NC. She left us on May 30, 2024, four days after her 86th birthday.

She began working at Colonial Grocery Store in Asheville and the Asheville Citizen-Times. She was also a member of the West Buncombe Fire Department auxiliary for many years.

She was a gifted genealogist who spent many years researching all her related family members. She was a direct fifth descendant of Johan Jacob Shook, one of the first settlers of Clyde, NC. Her history includes the Shook House, built in 1795 by Jacob Shook. It is the oldest frame house still standing in WNC and is now the Shook-Smathers Museum.

She married Paul Edwin Sherlin Jr in Oct 1973 and was at his bedside when he died in 2017. They had a good life together and continued to be deeply in love.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother Carl Shook Sr, nephew Carl Shook Jr, and niece Fay Shook Brown.

She is survived by niece Linda Blankenship, great niece Rhonda Brown Willis, great nephew Robert Brown, first cousin/sister Brenda Littrell Hudgins and Traci Sherlin, and special friends Melissa Pulliam, Annie Lee Cole, and Vicki Edwards.

Her funeral was held on June 5, 2024, at Green Hills Cemetery in Asheville, with John Alexander officiating. 

Our special thanks to the wonderful Swannanoa Valley Health Care staff and Penland Funeral Home.

Rest in peace, Jean. We will see you soon!  

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