Shirley M. Cutchlow

Born in McLemoresville, Tennessee on September 26, 1937
Departed on November 25, 2008. Resided in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Memorial

Shirley M. Cutchlow, 71, made her transition on Tuesday November 25, 2008. A warm invitation is offered to all, whose lives were touched by Shirley, to celebrate her life and the many contributions she made to this community. Services for her homegoing ceremony will be at 1:00 p.m. Monday at Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories by the Rev. Sherman Brown of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Des Moines, Iowa. Following the services, entombment will be at Cedar Memorial Park in the Hall of Hope. Visitation will be held at Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories on Sunday from 4-6 p.m.
Shirley Cutchlow received her Early Childhood accreditation at Kirkwood Community College and Iowa State University. From there she worked as a day care instructor at Linn County Developmental Day Care Center, where she retired after 25 years of service. She was a dedicated Sunday school teacher, and a 50 year member, at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. She enjoyed a succesful second career in real estate.

With an unwavering love of this city, Shirley proved to be an asset to her community, initiating and serving on various volunteer efforts and fundraising projects over the past 38 years. Her fundraising activities and support greatly benefitted organizations such as her beloved Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, The Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska Educational Baptist Convention's Home Mission and Foreign Mision Drive, Jane Boyd Community Center, a mobile registar for Voter Registration drives, the YMCA's Tribute to the Women of Achievement, an active member of Silver Leaf Chapter #5 OES, and the Cedar Rapids Branch of the NAACP where she enjoyed the priveledges of lifetime membership.

She was one of the founding members of the The African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa, instrumental in raising necessary building and operational funds prior to the Museum's construction at its present location. As the Events Director, she continued her fundraising strategies as well as assisting in the day to day operations of the facility. Her most notable efforts resulted in securing Martin Luther King III for one of the most successful banquets in the Museum's history. In addition, her outreach efforts and communication strategies garnered sizeable grants from Con Agra Food Processing Company and Dr. Bill Cosby to insure the African American Museum's construction goal.

She received many awards for her service that include "Yes I Can" from the NAACP, The President's Award for Outstanding Community Service and the Vision Award from the NAACP Youth Council.

She is preceded in homegoing by her mother Mary Luter and father Odartha Luter and her baby brother Don Luter.

She is held in loving memory by her two daughters, Sheila Cutchlow in Washington, DC, and Therie Cutchlow of Cedar Rapids, a granddaughter, Mallory Cutchlow of Washington DC, Billy Cutchlow of Missouri, two brothers, Bonny Luter, Cedar Rapids, Willie D. Luter, Tennessee and two sisters, Ophelia Adkisson, Wisconsin and Lucille Harris, Tennessee and Sampson, her beloved pet.

The family has established a memorial fund.

Visitation

Service

Cemetery