Cheryl Grissom Uitti

Cheryl Grissom Uitti, 46, loving wife and mother, started her eternal life in heaven at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, in Murphysboro, Illinois, Throughout her life, she made people laugh and that never changed, even in the face of a long battle with terminal brain cancer. She was an inspiration to all of us and someone who brightened every room she walked into. From early on she was a performer doing many plays in school and going on to work for the Lori Lins talent agency in Milwaukee making TV commercials and also appearing on QVC. She also did standup comedy and studied and performed at Second City in Chicago. She graduated from Southern Illinois University and went on to earn a master's degree in Instructional Design. She was also an award winning news reporter for public radio. But more than anything, Cheryl was a wonderful wife and mother to her two children and her spirit will always live on with her family! Cheryl was born November 12, 1965, in Murphysboro, Illinois, to Joseph Grissom and Judy (Malone) Grissom. She married Grant Uitti on June 27, 1992, in Murphysboro, and he survives. Other survivors include her two children Benjamin, 9, and Ella, 6, both at home in Hales Corners, Wis; Other survivors include her parents Mr. and Mrs. Joe Grissom of Murphysboro; two brothers and one sister Chris Grissom and his wife Alisha Grissom of Murphysboro, Gaye Bachmann and her husband Allen Bachmann of Murphysboro, and Kirk Grissom of Los Angeles, California; parents in law Roger and Janet Uitti of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; two brothers in law and one sister in law Ryan Uitti and his wife Jackie Uitti of Jacksonville, Florida, Brent Uitti and his wife Alison Uitti of Saskatoon, and Ann McLean and her husband Paul McLean of Cochrane, Alberta, Canada; and several nieces and nephews Kelli, Kristin, Kendra, Samantha, Karlee, Liv, Jude, Daniel, Erica, Rachel, Kyle, Ashley, Jackson, and Nicole. Funeral services for Mrs. Uitti will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, December 22, 2011, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, in Carbondale, Illinois, with Rev. Robert Gray officiating and burial at Pleasant Grove Memorial Park in Murphysboro. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the church on Wednesday, and from noon until the hour of service at the church on Thursday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Heartland Hospice, 1233 N. Mayfair Road Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53226, or Autism Speaks 5455 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 2250, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Pettett Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangement. For more information, please visit www.pettettfuneralhome.com.

Cheryl Grissom Uitti

November 12, 1965 - December 18, 2011