Mrs. Cheryl L. "Cheri" Riggs, 51, of Bristol, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her own home on Friday, September 24, 2021 at 5:45 am following an extended illness. She was born on March 9, 1970 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Along with Cheri's parents, she is survived by foster mother Deb Weld, who resides in Bedford, Indiana. On May 26, 1990, she married J. Jon Riggs in Elkhart. He survives at home.

Also surviving are her sons J.D. (Libby) Riggs of Holland, Michigan and Tyler (Heather) Riggs of Indianapolis; daughter Jennifer (Dale) Woolwine of Elkhart; grandchildren Brianna, Camron, Cameron, Austen, and one little one who's still on the way! Cheri is also survived by 13 brothers and sisters, a host of loving extended family and friends, and her faithful buddy Jax, her shepherd-pit mix.

Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services is hosting Cheri's Memorial Celebration of Life service at their event center, known officially as "The Gathering Place at Centre 1231" on Sunday, October 3, 2021 from 12:00 pm until 3:00 pm. There, friends are encouraged to come and celebrate Cheri's life by sharing stories, laughter, and fellowship; just how Cheri would have wanted it. The family is catering a taco bar for the first part of the celebration and ice cream and cake will be served throughout the gathering because ice cream was Cheri's favorite thing to eat. In accordance with Cheri's wishes, cremation will have taken place and there will be no formal service; just tons of pictures, great music, and a room full of people who have one dear friend in common. It was also Cheri's wishes to request only live plants be sent to her service, and those plants will then be generously donated by the family to the local nursing and rehabilitation facilities in the area. Cheri always loved to see others smile, and she thought that this would be the perfect way to re-purpose something beautiful into a gift for others. The grave side service will follow on Monday, October 4, 2021 at 11:00am at Oak Ridge Cemetery, East Vistula Street, Bristol.

Cheri worked in an administrative position at several local companies throughout the years, but her sincere love was in her family and living life to its fullest. She emphasized that her family was the most important accomplishment in her life. Cheri knew that every day, good or bad, was unique, so she savored the beauty one day at a time. She was known as "Mama Riggs" by many and had a tremendous impact on many lives growing up, like a second mother. In fact, there were three other mothers who were just as enthusiastic about their children as Cheri was, so they formed the "Mama Mafia", a family-based organization where the moms would decorate their kids' lockers and cheer them on in their sports endeavors and otherwise let them know that they were loved and supported for what they did in school. And, if they acted up, she would even come to class with them! (Can you imagine?) We can only envision that she was planning the same support and enthusiasm for her beloved grandbabies!

Cheri also had a creative streak; she loved trying new things and mastering new talents that included knitting, crocheting, making jewelry, and even working on cars. She also loved curling up with a good book. She was a devout art aficionado, and although she wasn't the most artistic herself, she viewed artwork for what it was worth and enjoyed advocating for the local artists by setting up a gallery for them.

Sassy, fun-loving, adventurous, intelligent, stubborn, outgoing, and loving are some of the adjectives that have been used to describe Cheri. She LOVED to travel and had visited a majority of the states across the US. She was always up for more traveling and had aspired to visit other countries as well. She also preferred talking to the locals to find the best hole-in-the-wall place to eat, as opposed to going to some chain or touristy restaurant. She would always advise that that's where you'd find the best food.

Finally, it should be mentioned that Cheri had the distinct honor of being a Blue Star Mother not once, but twice, as both of her sons have served/are still serving honorably in the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps. We salute Cheri (not to mention her boys) for her fortitude, sacrifice, and bravery exhibited while her sons were serving and on deployments.

Memorial donations may be given to Riley Children's Hospital. Friends and relatives are encouraged to read the entire obituary and leave condolences, memories, and/or pictures of Cheri by clicking "Tribute Wall" on her obituary page on the funeral home's website and then following the prompts.