Shirley Jean Rawlings

Shirley Jean Rawlings, our cherished mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and sister, left this world on Wednesday evening, July 8. Surrounded by family and blanketed in love by those whose lives she touched, she passed peacefully at her home into the arms of the angels she knew were waiting for her. She was 94. The first-born daughter of Paul Montag and Lena (Wirtz) Montag, Shirley grew up on a farm in Britt, Iowa, during the Great Depression as the big sister to her five siblings. She would recall her childhood fondly, speaking not of the hardships, but of her loving and hard-working parents; of caring for sheep, goats, and chickens; of the pretty dresses her mother sewed from flour sacks or making little dolls from turkey wishbones, and of Sunday afternoons where aunts or uncles would visit as everyone took a brief break from field work. In high school, she played on the girls' basketball team. After high school, she earned her degree in teaching and taught in a one-room schoolhouse. She met her husband Bob (Robert) when he mustered up the courage to ask this shy cutie in the corner booth to dance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. The rest, as they say, is history. Shirley and Bob married and started their family as farmers in Woden, Iowa. They later moved to the Twin Cities area and established a new life and a new farm in the sandy soils of Brooklyn Park. Their brood grew to seven children as they farmed, worked outside jobs, and built their two-story house themselves from the foundation up. Without hesitation, Shirley added expert sheet rocking, floor laying, and painting to her impressive list of skills, working late into the evenings side by side with Bob to build the home in which they would raise their family and farm for 35 years. Shirley had an exceptional mind. In Minnesota, she worked part-time retail and administrative jobs around raising her kids and tending the farm and gardens. Later, at Prudential Insurance, she was selected to train as a data processor and programmer, something she had never imagined doing. Of course, she was great at it. She proudly retired from Prudential at the end of her career. Shirley loved large and lived every day with purpose and intent. There were always things to do and things to appreciate. She loved zinnias, marigolds, and roses. She was a master gardener before there was such a title, a tireless whole food preserver before it was trendy, and cook and baker who made sure a family of nine sat down together to meals around the long table, always welcoming others by adding an extra chair and plate. Shirley was a wonderful textile artist, although she probably did not think of herself as such. At first, it was of necessity. She sewed clothes for her kids and curtains for her house and quilts for the many beds she tended. She was a lightning-fast crocheter and also created intricate doilies using the tatting techniques she learned as a girl. She passed on her love of creating with fabric, floss, and yarn to her kids and grandkids. But Shirley's greatest love and enduring work of art is the family she wove together with love and kindness. She loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren unendingly. She made each feel unique and perfect just the way they are. She celebrated every milestone, every birthday, every success small or large. Whether in Kansas City, where she and Bob lived after Minnesota; the little ranch in the Arkansas Ozarks they shared; or her house in St. Joseph, Missouri, each home was brimming with pictures of her children and their children. She leaves lasting memories of "Grandma Camps," mini golf and go-cart outings, of crafting projects and game after game of Candy Land and Uno. Her beautiful holiday displays reminded us to celebrate Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving with joy and gusto. Later, when she navigated without her sight, she reveled in phone calls, emails, and FaceTime with her family around the world. Shirley was gentle and brave. She faced her multiple battles with cancer with resolve and resilience. Her beautiful heart, her intelligence, and the unconditional love she poured into those around her will be cherished and live on as her legacy. Shirley leaves behind her seven children: Teri, Diane, Dick, Jan, David, Mary and Cathy; sons- and daughter-in-law, which she treated as her own: Eric, Anthony, Don and Carole; grandchildren: Joshua, Claire, Greer, Kate, Bobby, Andy, Camille and Olivia; and great grandchildren: Graiden, Casper, Titus, Owen, Barrett, Reagan and Brody. Passing before her were her parents, husband Bob, daughter-in-law Terry, and toddler grandson Averic. Visitation will be held from 10-11 AM Friday, July 17th followed by a funeral mass (11:00 AM) at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, 7180 Hemlock Lane N., Maple Grove, MN.

Shirley Jean Rawlings

January 4, 1932 - July 8, 2026

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