Sherf was a former Cherry Hill resident. He was featured in a story in the Aug. 17, 2011 edition of the Cherry Hill Sun.
Cowtown Rodeo Cowboy, book author, Korean War veteran and Maple Shade native Charles Sherf passed away on Oct. 27 in Vineland, one month shy of his 89th birthday.
In 2007 Mr. Sherf’s daughter, Barbara Sherf, wrote a guest column for the “Philadelphia Inquirer” about the stories her father would tell while the pair rode in Fairmount Park, reliving his teen years spent riding in Cowtown and other local rodeos. He told of earning more on a Saturday night for staying on a bull for eight seconds than he made during the week picking tomatoes and delivering them from Maple Shade by horse and buggy to Campbell’s Soup Company in Camden.
The notoriety after the column appeared sparked the pair to co-author a book incorporating his stories and her riding experiences titled “Cowboy Mission: The Best Sermons are Lived…Not Preached.”
While Mr. Sherf rode horses until the age of 80, he gave up his rodeo riding when he enlisted in U.S. Army. Following the war he was offered an apprenticeship at the “Philadelphia Bulletin,” where he worked in the composing room for 33 years before the newspaper closed.
Mr. Sherf was married to Philadelphia resident Barbara A. Smith, and the couple lived and raised four children in Philadelphia and Bucks County for 22 years raising their four children.
He then spent more than 20 years with Cherry Hill resident Irene Ankwicz traveling, golfing, riding horses and dancing together until he was admitted three years ago to the Veterans’ Memorial Home in Vineland.
He was also known throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey as he sold items at local flea markets.
He is pre-deceased by his sister, Helen O’Donnell, and brother, Robert Sherf. He is survived by his brother, Thomas Sherf, and sister, Lorraine Stepanavage, his companion, Irene Ankwicz, his children, Karen Jones (husband, David), Patrice Hilferty, Barbara Sherf (husband, Brad Shapiro) and Kevin Sherf; grandchildren, Rebecca and Andrew Jones, Kaylynn, Evan and Kyle Hilferty; and one great-grandson, Bennett Hilferty. Five nieces and four nephews also survive him.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 236 East Main Street in Maple Shade, on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10:30 a.m.
A Celebration of Life was be held on Sunday, Nov. 13, following the 4:30 p.m. viewing of the Skyspace at the Chestnut Hill Quaker Meeting at 20 East Mermaid Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118. Skyspace is open to the public, so guests are asked to pre-register at chestnuthillskyspace.org. In inclement weather, the light show in the Skyspace will revolve for 15 minutes and the service will start. If the Skyspace is opened to the sky, please wear weather appropriate clothing.
Memorial donations may be made to the Maple Shade Historical Society, 15 N. Holly Drive, Maple Shade, NJ 08052 or the Wounded Warrior Project www.woundedwarriorproject.org or P.O. Box 758517 Topeka Kansas 66675.
Mr. Sherf’s legacy video can be seen at http://communicationspro.com/workshops/capture-life-stories/
The book is being updated with Mr. Sherf’s final chapter and will be available through the Maple Shade Historical Society or e-mail CaptureLifeStories@gmail.com.
