Shirley Mae VanDeWalker Grimley was born on March 2, 1926 in McIntire, Iowa, the daughter of Harry Earl and Althea Mae (Bonwell) VanDeWalker. She grew up in McIntire and graduated form McIntire High School in 1943. On June 17th, 1944 she was united in marriage to Glenn L. Grimley at St. John Parish in LeRoy, Minnesota. They moved to Oran, Iowa in 1952 and then to Oelwein in 1956, where they resided until 1975, when they moved to West Chicago. In 1983 they moved back to Oelwein where Shirley pasted away on September 18, 2010.
Shirley loved all sports and played basketball and softball in high school. She also enjoyed swimming receiving her Life Saving Certificate in 1941. Late she learned to play golf and played often, she also enjoyed bowling, cooking, sewing and reading, but her greatest joy was her family. She worked at Mercy Hospital in Oelwein for eight and a half years, then a cook for the Oelwein school system for four years and then they had to move to Chicago. Shirley touched a lot of lives and will be dearly missed especially by her loving family.
She is survived by her husband, Glenn of Oelwein; a daughter, Val Green of Oelwein; a daughter-in-law, Janet Grimley of Seattle, Washington; a son-in-law, Sterling (Jan) Silver of Hazleton, Iowa; three grandchildren, Maurene (Gary) Stinson of Spokane, Washington, Destiny (Jeff) DeHaven of Oelwein and Brynn (Jeff) Graham of Port Orchard, Washington; three step grandchildren, Heidi (Jake) Nauman of Cedar Rapids, Alice (special friend Josh) Silver of Cedar Rapids and Sterling (Dawn) Silver, Jr. of Mt. Prospect, Illinois; a great grandson, Robert Glenn Donley; two step great grandchildren, Jalen Johnson and Madeline Nauman; and a step sister, Betty (Fred) Follett of Walden, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Althea, a son Terry Grimley; a daughter, Vicki Silver; a son-in-law, Harold Green; two sisters, Arla Richardson and Helen Timmerman; and three brothers, Keith, Earl and Bud (Duane) VanDeWalker.
A memorial fund has been established in her name.
SERVICES: 11:30 am on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at Zion Lutheran Church in Oelwein, Iowa with Rev. Charis Combs-Lay officiating.
VISITATION: 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at Geilenfeld Funeral Chapel.
