Shirley Wathen

Shirley Ann Wathen was born to William and Ida (Demuth) Boese on March 6, 1935 in Mora, Minnesota. When she was a small child, she moved with her parents to Woodstock, Minnesota where she attended school. While she was in the fourth grade, she moved with her mother to Pipestone, Minnesota and attended school there. In 1953, she graduated from Pipestone High School. One week after her graduation, she was united in marriage to Richard Wathen on June 9, 1953 at St. Leo Catholic Church in Pipestone. Following their marriage, they resided in Pipestone. During the time Shirley was raising their children, she ran a day care in their home. She also did a lot of cleaning for area people and businesses. In 1968, she became employed as a cook for the Pipestone school system. Richard preceded her in death on January 10, 2002. At the time of her retirement in 1998, she was the supervisor of this department. On April 24, 2023, she became a resident at Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where she died on Friday, February 28, 2025 at the age of 89 years. 

Shirley was a member of St. Leo Catholic in Pipestone where she was active in the CCW. She liked dancing and camping. She loved to crochet things for her family, and she made afghans for all of her grandchildren. She especially enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes.

She is lovingly remembered by five daughters, Julie Brustad and friend Gale Nordstrum of Madison, South Dakota, Jacqueline of Olivet, South Dakota, Joni and her husband Dean Dethmers of Pipestone, Minnesota, Jeanie and her husband Gene Palmer of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Joy and her husband Don Klingbile of Brandon, South Dakota; ten grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; one brother, Bill, Jr., and his wife Sandy Boese of Cambridge, Minnesota; and three cousins who were raised with Shirley, Pauline Callahan of Minnetonka, Minnesota, Joe Demuth of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Carol Demuth and her husband Don Wickstrom of Toledo, Oregon. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard; her parents; and two son-in-laws, Bryon Whalen and Rod Brustad.