Shirley Darrington

Thursday, January 21, 2016 5:16 pm

Shirley Darrington, 83, of Decorah, died Monday, Jan. 18, 2016, at the Barthell Order of the Eastern Star Nursing Home in Decorah. Funeral services are at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Hesper Lutheran Church in Hesper, with the Reverend Matt Larson officiating. Burial is in the Hesper Public Cemetery. Visitation is 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, at the Hesper Lutheran Church in Hesper, and one hour prior to services at the church. In lieu of flowers the family prefers memorials be given to Hospice of Winneshiek County, the Mabel Public Library, or Hesper Lutheran Church.

Shirley Ann Drievold was born Feb. 23, 1932, near Quandahl, to Carl and Gina (Sollien) Drievold. She was baptized at the Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church in Allamakee County. Her family moved to Hesper in 1938, and she started school there. She was confirmed at Hesper Lutheran Church. She graduated with the Mabel High School class of 1950. She was united in marriage to Wayne Darrington at Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church Aug. 26, 1950, in a triple wedding ceremony with her two older sisters. They lived in La Crosse, Wis. and Dubuque before returning to Hesper, where they made their home and raised their three children. During this time they began and developed their Mabel farm equipment business where Shirley worked for 25 years as a bookkeeper. She retired in 1993, and in 2001 they quit the implement business. For 59 years Hesper was their home and they were honored to be a part of the Hesper Family. She enjoyed taking care of their yard and flower beds, feeding the birds, reading and doing crossword puzzles. Together, she and Wayne planted and cared for a large garden and an acre of sweet corn of which they were happy to always share with family and friends. They were fortunate to be able to travel to Ireland, Germany, France, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica, plus many US states. She liked playing the piano and singing. She was a kind and generous person who always made you feel welcome in her home; and the cookie jar was always open to all the kids in Hesper. She enjoyed having coffee on the patio, watching the birds and waving at everyone who drove through town. She and her sister Charlotte made many quilts for church missions and donated to those in need. She had been a resident of Barthell Order of Eastern Star Nursing Home in Decorah since August 2014. She will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by her family and friends.

Shirley is survived by her husband of 65 years, Wayne; a son Steve (Karen) of Decorah; two daughters, Carrie (Jim) Horihan and Peggy (Dale) Rovang, both of Decorah; five grandchildren: Sarah (Nick) Brynsaas, Decorah, Amy (Alex) Roth, Anchorage, Alaska; Kurt Horihan, Mabel, Minn.; Karla (Andrew) Focht, Villisca; Laura (Jason) Lemke, Decorah; eight great-granddaughters: Grace, Olivia, Nora, Lilly, Payton, Jenna, Kylie and Ava; a brother, Curtis (Ginnie) Drievold of Sun City, Ariz.; a special nephew, David Darrington; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Donald Drievold, in WWll; two sisters- and brothers-in-law, Irene (Lyle) Sampson, Charlotte (Robert) Vang; and a nephew, Ricky Vang.