Shirley Ann King

Shirley Ann Matson was born on August 9, 1926 in St Paul Minnesota to Walter Theodore Matson and Mildred Berniece (Naslund) Matson. She was the youngest of the 3 girls, Betty (later changed to Bette) was 4 years older, Jean was 2 years older.

Walter’s mother and Mildred’s mother both died in childbirth and the children were sent away to live with others but it was not to live with other family. Mildred’s brother died just weeks after being born. Mildred and her sister Frances, who was 2 years younger were split up and even though they both lived close and attended the same schools they were not allowed to spend time together. So Shirley grew up without ever knowing grandparents.

She skipped part of first grade then later was part of a group that completed 2 years of schooling in 1 year.

Walter and Mildred moved into the first house Shirley could remember. It was on Charles Street. The day they moved in, the depression hit their family as Walter lost his job as one of many being laid off. They lived there until after Shirley graduated from high school and then they moved to a house 2 blocks away on Sherburne Street.

Shirley and Glenn had known each other since grade school. Glenn’s grandmother and aunt lived just a few blocks from Shirley and her parents. They began dating as juniors in high school when they attended the Junior Prom. They then “went steady" through their senior year.

Glenn and Shirley both graduated from Wilson High School in St Paul in 1943. Shirley was 16.

After graduation Glenn enlisted in the Navy Officer Candidate program. His first 2 years were spent in colleges in Missouri, Notre Dame and in Florida. He was commissioned as an Ensign in 1945 and was on a ship to the Philippines as the war ended. For the next year he commanded an LST (Landing Ship Tank). He was discharged in 1946 at the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. With the classes finished while he was in the Navy, Glenn attended the University of Minnesota and got his degree in Mechanical Engineering. He knew he wanted to be a salesman but he wanted to get his college degree.

After high school Shirley attended a two-week IBM school. On completion she took a job at an insurance company doing data entry for $80 a month. She lived with her parents and paid $10 a month for room and board. She later worked in a dentist’s office as receptionist and then worked in the Minnesota Highway Department.

After Glenn was discharged he returned to St Paul and he and Shirley began dating again. They got engaged in 1947 and married on April 3, 1948.

Glenn’s parents had divorced when he was 6 and he was never allowed to contact his father. After Shirley and Glenn were married they contacted Glenn’s father, Les Goldberg. Les was Sales Manager in the Omaha office for Brown & Bigelow. They met and became close. Glenn took a job as salesman with Brown & Bigelow and moved to Fremont to be able to cover his sales territory. Shirley was pregnant with their first child, Steve, and she stayed back in St Paul until after he was born. Then Shirley, who said she knew nothing about babies and even less about boys, moved to Fremont in 1950 with a newborn. While in Fremont, Shirley also gave birth to sons Greg (1953) and Dave (1955).

They moved to Lincoln in 1956 when Glenn got a new sales territory. Shirley gave birth to daughter Julie (1960). Her greatest joy was being a mom and especially a stay-at-home mom.

They took frequent trips to Fremont since Bette and Art had also moved there. They also took trips back to St Paul, to Glenn’s step-father’s bowling alley, and other places in Minnesota, including Brainerd, Rosemount and Gull Lake. There were trips to Peter’s Sunset Beach near Glenwood Minnesota with the whole family and then yearly trips as a couple to Peter’s for daily golf, dinners in the lodge and enjoying sunsets over Lake Minnewaska. Shirley was a Den Mother for Cub Scouts and a leader for Blue Birds and Camp Fire Girls. There were frequent trips to Hillcrest Country Club to take kids swimming and Friday night dinners for two. They also were members of bridge clubs and made long-time friends there.

In 1968 they moved into the house on North 77th Street. It was here that a great many get-togethers took place. Especially Christmases, Thanksgivings, 4th of Julys, Memorial Days, Labor Days or just where the family met when other family came to Lincoln. This house had a special place in the lives of their children and grand-children.

They lived in Lincoln until 1996 when Glenn passed away. Shirley then moved on her own to a house they had recently purchased in Sun City, Arizona. She joined a grief group and met Bob Clevenstine and they became good buddies, playing gin and playing golf and just talking. She joined a hiking club. She enjoyed bridge clubs there also, and volunteered in one of the libraries and also in one of the hospitals. Shirley’s sister Jean also moved to Sun City and they saw a lot of each other, sometimes just the two of them, often with “Grandpa Bob” as well.

Shirley stayed in Sun City until 2016 when she returned to Lincoln and moved in to The Legacy.

Glenn and Shirley enjoyed some traveling while they were able. For their 25th anniversary, they went to Spain and took a side trip to Algiers in northern Africa. Other travels took them to Cancun, Acapulco, 2 trips to Hawaii (1 of which was won in a national sales contest), the Bahamas, Las Vegas, and a Caribbean cruise. One of their favorite trips was to the YMCA of the Rockies just outside Estes Park Colorado. It was a great place for family vacations. In 1991, Glenn and Shirley hosted and paid most of the expenses for all four of their children and their grand-children to get together at the YMCA Camp.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Mildred Matson, her husband, Glenn King, her sister Bette Henrickson and husband Art Henrickson, her sister Jean Coons and husband Ray Coons, her father-in-law and mother-in-law Ray and Berniece King, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Wayne and Jan King, sister-in-law Dorene King, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Dale and Roberta Sundquist, and son-in-law Ron Belding.

Shirley is survived by her children, Glenn “Steve” (Sue), Greg (Sharon), Dave (Julie) and Julie Belding, grandchildren Sara Ricks (Brian), Beth King, Jeff King, Schuyler King (Leah), Andrea King, Dave King (Jessica Helt), Jen Heather (Corey), Kyle King (Ella Wiles), Jesse King, Melissa Reeves (Jesse), and Alli Daniel (Jackie), great-grandchildren Mason and Emery Heather, Miles King, Ila Al-Badry, Camryn and Braxtyn Reeves, and Tre and Tayte Daniel.

Visitation for Shirley will be held Thursday, September 8, 2022 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68512.

Celebration of life will be 10:00 am Friday, September 9, 2022 at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers the family wishes memorials to the family to be designated at a later date.

For more information go to www.lincolnfh.com. If you are unable to attend this service, Please click the link to view service on the online obituary on our website.