Shirley Myers

Shirley Myers, 84, of Council Bluffs and formerly of Buffalo Center, passed away on July 4, 2022. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 16, 2022, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Buffalo Center. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:30 p.m. Friday, July 15 at the church. Burial will take place at Graceland Cemetery in Buffalo Center. The funeral will be live streamed on the Oakcrest Funeral Services Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/oakcrestfuneralservices.

Shirley was born on September 12, 1937, in Lakota. She grew up on a farm outside of Swea City with her older brother Ronald, twin sisters Barbara and Betty, and youngest brother Larry. Shirley’s parents Louis and Hermina (Loos) Stenzel taught their children hard work, and each of them were very involved with chores. From milking cows and separating the cream, to feeding the pigs, picking berries, and tending to large gardens, there were plenty of chores for everyone. 

For Shirley Stenzel, high school brought a lot of work but different interests. There was a lot of work to be done on the farm, but she made time for babysitting, piano lessons, football games, and her best friend Carol Miller. Shirley made babysitting her job when there was time away from school and the farm. 

Shirley decided on a career in elementary education because of her love for children and pursued this career at Waldorf College in Forest City in 1954. Shirley worked in the cafeteria at Waldorf, washing the trays, and was able to room with her best friend Carol in a women’s dorm at Waldorf, and their adventuresome spirit increased when they were together. The Dean of Women was extremely strict about the girls being in bed at 10:00, but this did not stop the girls; if anything, it brought a desire to do something daring. The girls snuck out several times and were not opposed to using a window; they dreaded getting caught, but thankfully the Dean of Women was a sound sleeper.

After completing what was at that time a two-year degree in education, Shirley accepted a teaching position in Buffalo Center. Unknown to Shirley at the time, a young man from Buffalo Center saw her picture in the paper listing the new teachers in Buffalo Center. This young man, Bruce Myers, said to himself at the time, “I am going to marry that lady.” Shirley, however, claimed Bruce’s first interest was in her friend Carol, who he discovered was already engaged. Regardless, Bruce and Shirley began dating during Christmas break in 1958, and after Bruce returned from a six-month army reserve training program, he proposed to the woman he vowed to marry. Bruce and Shirley were married on August 9, 1959, in Immanuel Lutheran Church in Swea City and enjoyed 55 years of marriage before Bruce’s death in 2014. 

Bruce and Shirley raised their three boys on a farm outside of Buffalo Center, where she remained until after Bruce’s passing. While raising her children, Shirley taught school, worked on the farm, and served as a substitute teacher. Shirley was very involved with her church, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Buffalo Center. Shirley’s kids and grandkids delighted themselves in her cooking and baking; especially her “Sticky Rolls.” Throughout her life, Shirley was an enthusiastic and regular cheerleader for her boys, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in all their sports and activities.

A visit with Shirley rarely ended without an invitation to or cajoling to join her in song. From her favorite hymns to songs “You Are My Sunshine,” or “How Much is That Doggie in the Window,” Shirley continued to sing up to the last few weeks of her life. Shirley passed away on July 4, 2022, in Council Bluffs, where she had been living close to many family members for the last two years.

Shirley is survived by her sons: Douglas and wife Kimmerly of Memphis, TN; Jeffrey and wife Jenny of Caldwell, ID; and Michael and wife Janel of Underwood. Grandchildren: Elisabeth (Lizzy), Daniel, Ashley, Jonathon, Karissa, Eloise, Mariah, Caleb, Elijah, Hope Grace, Jordan, Mariah Michelle, Dominick, Mathew, Gabby, Cecilia, Vivian, Charlie and 20 great grandchildren; and her brothers Ronald and Larry and sisters Barbara and Betty. She was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Hermina, and her husband, Bruce.

Shirley, as your sons, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, we will always love and miss you greatly.

Memorials are preferred to the Vascular Dementia Society of America. To leave a tribute, visit www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com