Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home 5701 Hwy. 277 S. in Abilene, Texas with Roy Meksch officiating. Interment will follow in Elliott-Hamil Garden of Memories. Visitation will be held on Monday evening at the funeral home from 6-8 PM.
Shirley was born on January 14, 1941 to the late Rev. Eugene H. and Pearl E. (Crawford) Benningfield. When she was young, her family moved to Dublin where her father pastored and she attended school. She married the love of her life Jerry “Dale” Slatton and they had two children, Donnie and Tammy. Shirley was a devoted wife to her husband up until the end during his many years in the nursing home she visited him almost daily. She absolutely adored him. Shirley’s love for others went beyond her family and to everyone she met. Her genuine Christian life and nurturing personality made her a mother figure to many. She was always ready to share advice and give counsel. During her daily visits to the nursing home to visit her husband, she built special relationships with the nurses. Even during her stay in the nursing home, she always enjoyed getting to know the staff. She often took time to share her faith and encourage many of the people she encountered day to day. She loved reading her Bible. Shirley was a member of Harvest Baptist Church for many years.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband; and her infant brother, Samuel Eugene Benningfield.
She is survived by her two children, Donnie Slatton, and Tammy Cardenas; her grandchildren, Jessie Cardenas, and Brandi Zullo; two great-grandchildren; and her sister-in-law, Sylvia Slatton; numerous other relatives and friends.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.elliott-hamil.com for the Slatton family.
