Cheryl Warrington, Keshena Advocate for Native Communities, Dies at 65

The 10 rooms at the Eagles Nest Shelter in Neopit are still occupied. The waitlist still runs. What is missing, as of April 7, is Cheryl A. Warrington.

Warrington, 65, died at her Keshena home that Tuesday, surrounded by family. At the time of her death she was employed at Eagles Nest, the Menominee Indian Tribe's emergency shelter on the reservation, where tribal members experiencing homelessness can stay up to 60 days while working toward permanent housing. For a shelter operating with a waiting list, the loss of a trusted, experienced worker registers as both grief and a practical problem.

Her path to that shelter was shaped by decades of study and frontline work. Born in Shawano on February 12, 1961, Warrington graduated from Shawano High School with the Class of 1979, attended NAES College in Keshena, and earned a bachelor's degree in Native American Community Studies from UW-Green Bay. That education fed directly into advocacy work for the Oneida Tribe before she returned her focus to Menominee County.

Warrington leaves three children: Ryan Warrington of Columbia Heights, Minnesota; Lillian Martinez of Keshena; and Niko Martinez, currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan with the 3rd Marine Division, who received word of his mother's death from across the Pacific. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, sisters Janet LaTender, Dianna Fish, and Constance Chevalier, and a brother, Kenneth Warrington Jr. She was preceded in death by her significant other, Al Martinez; her grandson Ryan Warrington Jr.; and two siblings.

Visitation was held beginning April 9 at the Warrington residence. Traditional services are scheduled for Saturday, April 11. Mickelson Funeral & Cremation Service of Shawano is assisting the family.

The Eagles Nest Shelter, located at W6733 Shawpokasic St in Neopit, can be reached at (715) 756-2576 by anyone seeking to offer support or ask about volunteer opportunities.