Margaret Shields

Margaret Mae Shields was born on November 3, 1927 to Herbert and Freida (Lettow) Priester in Canton, SD where Freida was visiting her sister. The young Priesters lived in Airlie, MN before moving to Pipestone, MN where she attended Pipestone High School, graduating in 1945. During high school, she worked at the local ice cream store. She enjoyed a bowl of ice cream her entire life. Following her graduation, she became a teller at Pipestone National Bank. While dating and throughout their marriage, Margaret and Don were very good dancers. Often dancing at Hatfield and the Playmore Ballroom. On August 19, 1952, she married Donald Shields at St. Martin Catholic Church in Woodstock, MN. Following their marriage, they lived briefly at the Shields farm in Woodstock before getting an apartment in Pipestone and then a house. In 1962, they moved to Geneva, NE when Don started working for Mobil Oil. Subsequent promotions moved the family to Kansas City, MO Sioux Falls, SD and eventually to Burnsville, MN until retiring in 1991. Throughout all the moves, Margaret worked as a teller at the banks in Geneva, Sioux Falls and Burnsville. After retirement, they lived on Deer Lake in Northern Minnesota where they enjoyed spring, summer and fall. Traveling to North Fort Myers, FL for the cold winters where they kept a winter home. Donald preceded her in death on September 20, 2014. In 2015, she became a resident of Avera Prince of Peace in Sioux Falls, SD, where she passed away on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the age of 97 years, 11 months, and 15 days

Margaret was a past member of St. Michaels Catholic Church in Sioux Falls. While living at Avera Prince of Peace, she attended church there. She enjoyed gardening and walking two miles twice a day. She was a very good dancer like her mom and dad who danced at Hatfield and the Playmore. Margaret loved to bake and make candy, always wore an apron! While Don was working for Mobil Oil and was gone during the week, a special saying of hers was "wait till your dad gets home". She was friendly to everyone.

She is lovingly remembered by her three children, Katherine and her husband John O'Dea of Hayward, CA, Patrick and his wife Wendy Shields of Faulkton, SD and Michael Shields of Sioux Falls, SD; two grandchildren, Amber (Curt) Martinmaas of Faulkton and Christopher Shields of Fargo, ND; and four great-grandchildren, Jacob, Alex, Leo and Charlie; three siblings, Jim Priester of Pipestone, MN, Marjorie Priester of Austin, MN, Ed Priester and his wife Lynette Barnish of Burnsville, MN. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; four sisters, Caroline Buysse, Dorothy Buysse, Sharon Mallo and Marian Lester.