Sheryl M. Carter

Sheryl Marie Reinke Carter

Born July 20, 1951 Magic Valley Memorial Hospital Twin Falls Idaho Deceased April 13, 2026 Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

Sheryl was preceded in death by both parents. She is survived by her husband, Buddy, at the family home in Fernwood, Idaho, and three siblings: brother Ken, and wife Yvonne in Twin Falls, sister Lucinda of Boise, and brother Voyne of Buhl.

Sheryl was baptized at Clover Trinity Lutheran Church in Buhl, Idaho

She attended Clover Christian School in Buhl, Idaho 1957 through 1965 grades 1 -8

She was confirmed at Clover Trinity Lutheran Church, 1965

She then attended Filer High School, graduating as Salutatorian in 1969. She played the clarinet and trombone in the marching band, was a member of National Honor Society and other service organizations

Sheryl grew up on the family farm in Buhl that her Grandfather and Grandmother Reinke homesteaded in 1915 where she participated in the farming activities until she left for college,

She attended Idaho State University from 1969-1973 graduating with a Bachelor’s degree as a Registered Nurse

She married Ron Johnson in June 1973 at Clover Trinity Lutheran Church.

After college graduation, Sheryl started her nursing career in Ashton, Idaho at the local hospital where there was one doctor and one nurse (Her). Shortly after starting her new job, the doctor was killed in a plane wreck and as a new nurse, was the sole medical person for several months until a new doctor was hired,

After 4 years in Ashton, Sheryl and Ron moved to Sitka, Alaska in the fall of 1977 where she worked as a nurse for the Southeast Alaska Regional Hospital. They divorced in April, 1988.

Sheryl met and Married John Washburn in July , 1988.

Sheryl knew she wanted to move up into a leadership role in the hospital system, so shortly after marrying John, they moved to Tacoma, Washington where she worked at several different hospitals while pursuing her Master’s degree from Seattle Pacific University. She graduated with honors in 1993.

Following graduation, she was offered the position of Chief Nursing Officer at Sterling Regional Medcenter in Colorado.

Sheryl and John became homesick for Alaska, so in 1998, Sheryl accepted a position as Patient Care Services Administrator at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska, where they stayed until 2005.

In 2005, Gritman Hospital in Moscow, Idaho called and Sheryl accepted the position of Chief Nursing Officer until 2008, when her career took another step up and she accepted the position of Vice President of Patient Care at North Country Hospital in Newport, Vermont, where she worked until 2013. In the spring of 2013, her husband John passed and she decided to move back to Idaho, In the fall of 2013, Sheryl was offered her old job as CNO at Gritman and continued in that position until her retirement in 2017.

In 2015, she met Buddy Carter, and after they both retired in 2017, they were married on December 2, 2017. They made their home in Fernwood where they remodeled the old farm house. They then decided to build a new house that would last them and be accessible in their later years.

They both had a desire to travel and see the world. Over the next 8 years, they traveled to Alaska several times, across the US to Florida, to Vermont and Maine, to Hawaii several times, to Cabo, and their greatest adventure, to Australia . In all their travels, there are only a few states they are missing. Besides traveling, Sheryl enjoyed working in her flower garden and on landscaping their house. She especially enjoyed making theme banners for her church for the different seasons. Sheryl was very devoted to her faith and serving her Lutheran Church.

In October of 2024, Sheryl underwent a surgery on a benign tumor behind her ear. While that surgery was successful, she contracted spinal meningitis. After battling for her life for many months, recovery began to happen. Her progress was amazing and she was looking forward to going home and sitting on the porch so she could absorb her beautiful surroundings. But at the end of May last year, she experienced a fall in rehab and suffered a traumatic brain injury and was unable to recover from the complications of that injury.

The family would recommend in lieu of flowers, or in addition to, that a donation be made to the nursing scholarship that she and Buddy fund at ISU. Donations can be sent to the following or to links found on Shorts Funeral Home or Hodge Funeral Home

Sheryl (Reinke) and Buddy Carter Nursing scholarship

Fund ID Memo 1103-31

Idaho State University

921 S. 8th Ave, Stop 8050

Pocatello, Idaho 83209

Arrangements have been entrusted to Short’s Funeral Chapel of Moscow and condolences may be left at www.shortsfuneralchapel.com