Nina “Eldean” Sherfick, 96, of Shoals

Eldean was born on October 23, 1928, in Shoals, Indiana. She was the daughter of Merlin and Elsie (Cooper) Wininger. She graduated from Shoals High School with the class of 1947 and was a member of the Shoals Christian Church. She married the love of her life, Gene Sherfick, on September 3, 1948, in Bedford, Indiana. They enjoyed 74 ½ years of marriage before Gene died in March 2023. 

Eldean stated several months ago that she missed Gene so much and they just did not have enough time together. We can only imagine how happy they are now together forever in Heaven. Eldean worked for the Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District as a Secretary for 31 years. She was active in many clubs and organizations including the Grange, a 60-year member of the Rusk Homemakers, she served as a 4-H Leader for 32 years and served on the Bateman Community Board for many years. In the summertime you could always see her tending to her flowers and her garden. She also enjoyed canning and sewing. 

She loved visiting with her family, especially her grandchildren and great- grandchildren. One of Eldean’s hobbies that the whole family can cherish for generations was her love of piecing quilts. She made sure that all 4 of her grandchildren was gifted a “Grandma Made” pieced quilt for their high school graduations. Eldean and Gene took many vacations to the Smokey Mountains, in fact in 2011 Gene at 84 years young and Eldean at 83 both climbed Clingman’s Dome. Her knowledge of the traditional ways will be missed by those who carry that valuable information to future generations.