Shirley B Norris Shelton

Shirley Barnhill Norris Shelton, age 96, died peacefully in her sleep on December 16, 2022, while surrounded by her loving family.

Shirley was born on January 20, 1926, in Marthaville, LA to the union of Marshall Barnhill and Adelia “Deelee” Rawls. When Shirley was two years old, her mother died leaving her father to care for her and her two siblings (her father later married Ada Ayres).

Raised a country girl, Shirley could milk a cow and pick cotton with the best. After graduation from high school, she moved to Shreveport to pursue her dreams. There, she found work at the post office and met Wayne Norris, a young letter carrier. They became engaged while Wayne was away during the war and married in 1945 to start their family. Shirley and Wayne had three children, Sandra, Larry, and Patsy. At the time of Wayne’s death, Shirley was only 32, but she committed herself to remain single so she could give all her time and energy to raising her children. Times were sometimes hard, but she never let the kids do without, and she raised them well.

Years later, while working at the post office, Shirley met and fell in love with Lynn Shelton, himself a widower. Shirley and Lynn were married in 1984, and created a blended family that is as strong, loving and enduring as its founders. Shirley was a long-time member of Mangum United Methodist Church and later the Doyline United Methodist Church where she remained faithful until her declining health and age prevented her from attending.

Shirley was a gracious lady with many talents. She was musical, and she passed that on to her children. She was an expert seamstress and was sought out by many to make wedding dresses. With the birth of her first grandchild, she began a tradition of making hand-stitched Christmas stockings. That stocking tradition continued for many of her great grandchildren, with more than 30 of these works of art cherished as a lasting memento of her.

Shirley is survived by daughters Sandra Norris Eisner, Patsy Norris Cross and her husband Verlon Cross, Roslyn Shelton Riley and her husband retired Maj. Gen. Don Riley, Marla Shelton Smith and her husband Cal Smith; and sons Larry Norris and his wife Johnette Norris, Jerry Shelton and his wife Elizabeth Shelton, Stan Shelton and his wife Dawnette Shelton; and 19 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren with more on the way.

She is also survived by Ruby Evans, her caregiver and constant companion for the last eight years. Shirley’s family will forever be grateful to Ruby for the love and compassion she showed to their mother.

Shirley was preceded in death by her first husband and father of her children, Warren Wayne Norris; her parents; her brother, Jesse Clayton Barnhill; her sister, Dorothy Barnhill Mendez; and her second husband, Lynn Shelton.

A visitation for Shirley will be held Saturday, January 7, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport, Louisiana 71108, followed by a celebration of life memorial at 2:00 PM. She will be laid to rest in Centuries Memorial Park, after her cremation, next to Wayne, the father of her children.

The family requests that any planned memorial be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or Tunnel to Towers.