Shirley Patricia ‘Pat’ Shepley Inver Grove Heights
Pat Shepley, 92, of Inver Grove Heights, formerly of South St. Paul, MN and Sun City, AZ, passed away peacefully at Regions Hospital on October 10, 2018. Her influence as a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother will be cherished.
Shirley Patricia Strait was born on March 5, 1926, to Herbert and Beatrice (Cairncross) Strait at their home in Jordan, MN. She was the oldest of three children and told family recently that she “had a great time growing up. My parents were special.”
As a girl, Pat was a bit mischievous, clever, and smart. During high school, Pat was a cheerleader, played saxophone, and served as the band’s drum majorette. Pat graduated from Jordan High School in 1943 as Valedictorian of her class and remained close to many high school classmates throughout her life.
Pat attended Hamline University, graduating in 1948 with degrees in Business Education and Social Work. While at Hamline, she worked in the bookstore and received multiple orders for books and supplies from her future husband. Pat considered meeting and “catching” Warren Shepley and raising their four children together to be her greatest accomplishment. Pat and Warren were married on October 22, 1949, at the Immanuel United Methodist Church in Jordan, MN.
Pat began her teaching career in Glencoe, MN, working as a typing, shorthand, and bookkeeping teacher for three years. The Shepleys were active members of the First Congregational Church where Pat served on the Call Committee in addition to involvement in other church activities. Pat and Warren enjoyed great friendships with several couples in a “Potluck Group” which met monthly in their homes and later in restaurants for nearly 60 years.
Pat stayed home with her children while they were young. She supported and encouraged their 4-H and Boy Scout activities, ensured they understood the importance of family, and made certain they knew right from wrong. Her children knew she was serious when they’d get ‘The Look” from Mom.
Family vacations included numerous road trips camping in State and National Parks throughout the country. They attended the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal, visited important historical sites in Washington DC, Boston, and New York City, as well as, a west-coast trip to the Grand Canyon, and Disneyland. They made frequent visits to see their grandparents at family cabins on Spring Lake and Lake Superior.
The family resided in Glencoe until 1969 when they relocated to Redwood Falls. They joined the First Presbyterian Church and Pat became the Co-Chairwoman of the annual Holiday Bazaar for the next 20 years. She utilized her business acumen and social work background during her career as the Executive Director at Lakeside Manor Senior Housing.
Following their 1989 retirement, Pat and Warren spent winters in Sun City, AZ, and summers in Herbster, WI, welcoming guests and entertaining many visitors in both locations. In addition, they loved traveling with trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Iceland, Scotland, and numerous European countries. They attended the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, cruised the Panama Canal, and attended the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT.
Pat also enjoyed corresponding with friends and family. She was known for remembering birthdays and anniversaries, sending Thank You notes, and congratulatory notes to grandchildren on their special achievements. She loved cheering for her children and grandchildren at sporting events, attending their concerts and recitals, and knowing what everyone in her family was doing. She was especially pleased to show off a (poster-size) photo of all 12 grandchildren together.
Pat will be greatly missed by her husband of 68 years, Warren; daughter Sandra of South St. Paul; sons Dr. Robert (Liz) of Northfield, MN and Thomas (Deb) of Burnsville, MN; grandchildren Betsy (Brian), Mark (Ashley), Katie (Mark), Scott, Nathan, Christian (Emily), Eric, Brett, Colin, Tucker, Jake, Marcus; and 10 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents Herbert and Beatrice Strait, brother Herbert “Skip” Strait, sister Mary Carroll Smits, and daughter Judith Ann Lykins.
Pastor Larry Kasten will preside at a memorial service for Pat at 1:30PM on Friday, November 23, 2018, at Immanuel United Methodist Church, 301 Varner St N, Jordan, MN. A reception will follow.
Memorials are preferred to Lakes Area Music Festival (lakesareamusic.org) or Inheritance of Hope (Inheritanceofhope.org).
Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation Jordan (952) 492-2818 www.BallardSunderFuneral.com
