Shirley Ann Schnirring was born in Sioux City on December 13, 1926, spent her first four years of life in an orphanage and then was raised by her great aunt Blanche McJunkin. She attended grade schools in Onawa, Iowa, and Sioux City. She went to West Middle School and Central High School in Sioux City and graduated from high school in Onawa, Iowa, in 1945. Shirley entered the Army Cadet Corps in 1945 and graduated with a diploma in nursing in 1948 from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing (now St. Luke’s) in Sioux City.

Shirley married Dale Schnirring of Sac City, Iowa, on September 4, 1948, in Sioux City, Iowa. To this union were born three children, Susan Schnirring of Janesville, Wisconsin, Deborah Peterson (Lynn) and Dale Schnirring, Jr. of Sac City. Shirley and Dale moved to the family farm in 1954 where they remained until moving to Sac City and have managed the Depot since 1978. Dale and Shirley would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on September 4, 2007.

Shirley was a member of the Methodist Church in Sac City and belonged to Circle Two. She was a registered nurse and worked most of her career at Loring Hospital, where she was an operating room supervisor. She retired from Park View Manor in January of 1997. Shirley was very proud of her achievements and skill as a registered nurse. She loved taking care of her patients over the years and spent her retirement years taking care of her family, reading, and enjoying her pets.

Shirley loved animals and they loved her back unconditionally. Some of her animal friends over the years were cats Twilly, Sabra, Samantha, Pinkie, Simon, Miller and Spook, and dogs, Archie, Benjie, Poochie, Duffy, and Chubby. She was an avid reader and Nora Roberts was her favorite author. In her later years, she enjoyed the TV series, “Everybody Loves Raymond”, her favorite movie was “Little Miss Sunshine”, she watched hours of classic movies and was a lifetime donor to Iowa Public Television.

Shirley loved the family vacations to the Black Hills, Denver, Okoboji, Florida, Chicago, Niagara Falls and to see her brother, Bob, near Puget Sound, Washington. She enjoyed cooking for her family and made many a meat loaf, angel food cake, and always, oyster stew on Christmas eve. She was a great dancer, had beautiful skin, and took great pride in keeping a nice home for her family. She was quiet and reserved but did not hesitate to say what was on her mind. She was a devoted and constant friend. Not having had a family as a child, her family was very important to her and she took great pride in her children and their accomplishments.

Shirley is also survived by seven grandchildren: Krista Groetken-Seils (Andy) of Footville, Wisconsin, Amy Groetken of Chicago, Illinois, Jill Groetken of Bloomington, Illinois, Jereme Altendorf of San Diego, California, Sara Altendorf of Sac City, Heidi Peterson of Sioux City, Iowa, and Kyle Schnirring of Des Moines, Washington. Great grandchildren are Kayla Groetken, Kelsey Seils, Kara Seils, Taylor Timberlake, and Cecilia Groetken.

Shirley was preceded in death by her adoptive mother, Blanche McJunkin, five brothers; Bill Terry, Ernest Gremm, Robert Mills, Cliff Fowler and Alvin Fowler, and three sisters, Beatrice and Mary Fowler and Marguerite O’Neil.

Shirley died at Trinity Medical Center in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Saturday, August 4, 2007, after a brief illness.

In compliance with her wishes, her body was cremated and there will be no visitation or funeral. There will be a memorial service at the Methodist Church in Sac City at 10:30 am on Saturday, August 11, 2007, Pastor Vicki Fisher will officiate. Farber & Otteman Funeral Home in Sac City is in charge of arrangements.