January 12, 2026, 85, Goldsboro – Iona W. Cherry, affectionately known as Mother Cherry, passed away on Monday, January 12, 2026, just one day shy of her 86th birthday.
A native of Scotland Neck, North Carolina, Iona W. Cherry was born on January 13, 1940, to Major and Naomi Covington Watson. She was married to the late Ulysses Cherry. For over 35 years, she made her home in Hampton, Virginia, where she was a familiar and respected face on the campus of Hampton University, serving on the custodial staff from 1971 until her retirement in 2002.
In 2005, her journey of faith led her to relocate to Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she joined the Spartanburg Christian Discipleship Center at the Promised Land
Mother Cherry later relocated to Goldsboro, North Carolina, and became a member of Greenleaf Christian Church under renowned civil rights leader Bishop William J. Barber II.
She leaves to cherish her fond memories a loving daughter, Gloria Sutton (Jimmy) of Snow Hill, NC; one son-in-law, Tyrone Wheeler of South Carolina; four grandchildren, Anissa Agee Milbourne (Anthony) of Spartanburg, SC; Terri D. Standifer of Chesapeake, VA; Jornelle S. Osbourne of Hope Mills, NC; and Calvin Arnelle Robinson of Goldsboro, NC. Mother Cherry also has 2 great-grandchildren, DeLisa Milbourne and Titus Milbourne.
In addition to her parents and her husband she was preceded in death by her daughter, Joyce Anne Wheeler of Spartanburg, SC, and thirteen siblings. These siblings included Ernest Watson and Kelly Watson of Philadelphia, PA; Curtis Watson of Baltimore, MD; Nazell Hall of Catonsville, MD; Claudia Estelle of Richmond Virginia; Brady Hockaday and John Edward both of Scotland Neck, NC.
The family will honor her life with a private graveside service on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in Snow Hill, NC.
Professional Services are under the care of Howell Funeral Home & Crematory in Goldsboro, NC.
