Shirley Irene Anderson

Shirley was born on June 10, 1936 in Wapakoneta, OH to the late Charles and Stella Dawson. She grew up in Dayton, OH and graduated from Stivers High School. After high school, she attended Sinclair College, focusing on secretarial studies. She met the love of her life, Dale, in the summer of 1955. Because Dale was stationed with the army in Germany, most of their courtship was conducted via letters going back and forth across the Atlantic. They were married on August 10, 1957. The first 2 years of marriage were spent near Bonn, Germany. They returned to the United States with their six-month old daughter, Cynthia, in the spring of 1959. They eventually settled in Dearborn, MI in 1962 with two additional daughters, Amy and Beth. Shirley was an excellent homemaker, seamstress and cook. While the girls were growing up she was active in the DuVall Elementary School PTA, provided chauffeur services to dance and piano lessons, sewed much of the girls’ clothing and kept the cookie jar full.

As the girls graduated to junior high, Shirley worked part time as the church secretary for Trinity Church of the Brethren, where she was also an active member. At Trinity, she was a faithful member of the Women’s Fellowship group and helped with youth activities. Much to her daughters’ chagrin, they were often the last to leave the church parking lot because there was always one more conversation to be had.

Shirley loved to garden and spent many hours cultivating her flower beds. Some of her favorite flowers were lily of the valley, daisies and roses. Once the girls were out of the house, her new-found free time was spent participating in the Dearborn Garden Club. She enjoyed flower arranging and delved into crafting. This is also the time when she and Dale began to travel the world.

When Dale retired, they began to spend their winters in Arizona. Shirley continued crafting, attending vendor shows and participating in a women’s Bible study group. Several years later, they moved to Fort Wayne, IN to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. During her summers and falls in Fort Wayne, she was active with the Women’s Fellowship Group at Agape Church of the Brethren and attended neighborhood social functions.

Shirley is survived by her loving husband of 66 years, Dale of El Mirage, AZ and Fort Wayne, IN, and her daughters Amy (Bill) Hollenberg of Fort Wayne, IN and Beth (Rocky) Blanzy of Chino, CA. She is also survived by six grandchildren; Rachel (Mark) Lohman of Chino, CA, Aaron (Shawnna) Hollenberg of Peru, IN, Craig (Ashlyn) Berry of Huntingburg, IN, Jessica Rowley of Dearborn, MI, Emily (Adam) Mossoian of Fort Wayne, IN, and Adrienne (Christian) Trujillo of Simi Valley, CA; and seven great grandchildren with one more on the way. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Stella Dawson, brother, Jim Dawson and daughter, Cynthia (George) Rowley.

A memorial service for Shirley will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at Agape Church of the Brethren, 11610 Lima Road, Fort Wayne, IN. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Alzheimer’s Association.