Shirley Ann (Smith) Hess 1931-2006

COLE, SMITH, HESS, FREEMAN, HAMMEL, HOISINGTON

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 9/12/2006 at 09:02:34

Shirley Hess

Shirley A. Hess, 74, of rural Lansing, Iowa, died Thursday, August 3, 2006, at her home. Funeral services were held Monday, August 7, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing, with Fr. Daniel Knipper officiating. Burial was in Gethsemane Cemetery, Lansing. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon was in charge of arrangements.

Shirley Ann was born December 5, 1931, in La Crosse, Wis., the daughter of John Leo and Evelyn Marie (Cole) Smith. Her mother died when she was 12, so Shirley lived in several places including Wisconsin, California, and Texas as they followed her father's military career. She returned to La Crosse where she graduated from Aquinas High School.

October 11, 1950, she married Joseph Leo Hess at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing. She and Joe farmed near Churchtown, Iowa, all of their married life. Shirley was a busy mother of eight and worked very hard on the farm.

She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and formerly a member of St. Mary's Lycurgus Catholic Church and its Rosary Society. Shirley loved to shop and collect different items, currently angels. Working outside on the farm or in her flower garden was a pastime of Shirley's. She also enjoyed reading, fishing, doing crafts of all kinds, and decorating the house for holidays.

Survivors include her husband Joe of Lansing; seven children, John of Waukon, Susan Freeman of Emerald, Wis., Michael (Abby) of Denver, Colo., Mark of Somerset, Wis., Steven and Joseph, both of Lansing, and Deborah Hammel of Dorchester, Iowa; 16 grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and a brother, Elmer (Desi) Smith of Dayton, Ohio.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter, Joann Hoisington; an infant son; and a son-in-law, Steve Hammel.

Casketbearers were Shawn and Steve Millermon, Brian Hess, Chris Hoisington, and Steven and Lance Hammel. All of her other grandchildren and great-grandchildren served as honorary casketbearers.

Waukon Standard, August 9, 2006