Shirley A. Citrowske lived for 87 years, and welcomed every day as a gift. She was born on March 27, 1933, on a farm in Scott County, Minnesota. Emil and Florence were her parents. Her sister, Lois, died very young, at two. Shirley and her other sister, Carol, grew up on that farm, going to a one-room school until high school in Belle Plaine. She finished high school and went on to Mankato Teachers College, graduating with a degree in elementary education. Shirley opted to backpack and camp in the Northern Minnesota Boundary Waters rather than attend her graduation ceremony. Her adventures had begun.
Shirley met Owen Citrowske in college. Cy joined the Army after graduating, and when he proposed, long distance from Germany, she accepted, receiving her engagement ring from a fellow soldier who carried it back to the U.S. to her. She flew to Germany, where they were married and had their first child, who Cy insisted be named for her mother. A move to Texas, Cy’s separation from the Army, and back to Minnesota, where the next two kids (Jerome and Diane) were born. Then on to the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota, where their youngest child (Scott) was born.
Cy decided on a career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and as he was posted in various locations, Shirley taught 1st grade, something she absolutely loved and kept doing wherever they went. Those places included Kayenta on the Navajo Reservation, Ocotillo School District in Phoenix, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, and Little Diomede and Wales in Alaska. She was devoted to teaching all those kids and appreciated learning about their cultures. While in Kayenta, she and Cy hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Side trips while in Saudi Arabia included India, Greece, Kenya, and Germany.
Cy passed away in January of 1999. Shirley joined her oldest daughter on a millennium cruise, and backpacked with her on the Appalachian Trail in 2001. Her caveat was “I’m only going to hike for eight weeks; I have other things to do.”
And she did. In 2002, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but after surgery, every check-up was “clean”. Mom enjoyed beautiful days on the golf course with Jerome every chance she got. She and Diane spent time together at the Ricardo Breceda Sculptures art park in Borrego Springs. In Daytona, she toured the Daytona 500 facility with Scott, “riding” in the Nascar simulator. With either family or friends, Shirley traveled to London, Hawaii, San Diego, Seattle, Spokane, the Bahamas, New York City, Washington D.C., Orlando and Port Orange in Florida, San Antonio, and Cancun (many times). Everywhere she went, Shirley gave out smiles and hugs and shared her joy for living.
A subdural hematoma in January 2019 didn’t slow Shirley down much, but a severe stroke in December did. Through it all, Mom’s faith and belief in her God kept her strong. She was never sad or down, always thanking her caregivers for everything they did and giving her all in therapy. She was grateful for every card and note that people sent. To the very end, if she had the last French fry, we would hear “Do you want half?”
Shirley traded her wheelchair for wings on July 1, 2020. The people who will miss her the most are her sister Carol (Rudy) and her family of nieces and nephews, her daughters Shirley Ann Seney (Steve) and Diane (David Briscoe), her sons Jerome (Kim) and Scott (Lisa), her three grandchildren (Jennifer, Jessica, and Scott), and five great grands (Jonathon, Jace, Julie, Brooke, and Aubrey). Ernie Nash, her companion for 14 years, will also miss her. Every person Shirley knew will feel her loss. We can hear Mom telling us “I can only stay for 87 years; I have other things to do.”
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