Cheryl Nolan

Cheryl Nolan, 65, was born December 17, 1958, in Boone, IA and passed away Saturday, September 28, 2024, in West Des Moines, IA surrounded by family.

Cheryl graduated from Iowa Falls High School in 1977 and attended one year at Ellsworth Community College. She began her career in law enforcement as a dispatcher/jailer at the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office in 1979. She joined the State of Iowa Department of Public Safety as a communications operator in Cedar Falls in 1981. In 1985, Cheryl was promoted to communications specialist II in Des Moines. In 1995, she became a training officer II in what is now the Technology Services Bureau within Administrative Services. There she provided training and certification for the state and national computer systems that provide immediate access to criminal justice agencies with information such as wanted persons, criminal history, stolen vehicles, and stolen articles.

In 2004, she transferred to the Division of Criminal Investigation Sex Offender Registry Unit as a program planner, and her passion for her work shined through. Cheryl played a major role in creating a computerized database for tracking sex offenders, and trained sheriff’s office personnel on the program. She assisted in the creation of the public website now known as iowasexoffender.gov. She became the “go-to” for the registry, routinely providing training and guidance for any registry related matters and continual administrative and operational support to law enforcement throughout the state.

Cheryl was a member of the Iowa Board for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers and conducted training sessions for their certification process. She also provided training for the United States Marshal’s Office, and INS Immigration and Naturalization Service (now Homeland Security) offices in Iowa. After 42 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Iowa, Cheryl retired from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation - DCI Sex Offender Registry (SOR). Cheryl’s knowledge of the SOR was immense and the number of lives she positively affected is immeasurable. In Cheryl’s own words, she held many titles over the years, the greatest being “Queen of the SOR”, “Aunt Cheryl”, and “Fairy Godmother”.

She is survived by her siblings, Rhonda Nolan of Ft. Collins, CO, Carl (Anne) Nolan of Eldridge, IA, and Dan (Krista Noah) Nolan of Charles City, IA; nieces and nephews, Adam (Tiffany) Nolan, Steven Nolan (fiancé, Cortney), Nolan Stratton, Chloe Nolan, Delaney Smith, and Dillon Smith; great nieces, Ella, Emma, and Maxine; uncle, Dean Nolan; cousin, Connie (Mark) Nolan Orth; and very special family, Pete and Summer Bawden and their children, Christine, Nathan, Tessa (Goddaughter), Miles, and Nolan.

Cheryl was preceded in death by her parents, Marian “Mary Lou” and Charley Nolan; and her twin sister, Carol Stratton.

Services will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Funeral service will begin at 5:30 p.m. Burial will take place on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at Northlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery, Iowa Falls, at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to First Christian Church Youth Camp Program, 221 Fisher Avenue, Iowa Falls, IA 50126.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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