Shirley G. Mohr (1934-2021)

HEATH, MUELLER, MOSER, MOHR

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 6/26/2021 at 20:15:29

Mom responded to God’s call to come home, Sunday, June 20th, 2021. She passed peacefully, in her sleep.
Shirley Gail Heath was born the youngest of three daughters to Leonard Lafayette and Amanda Heath (nee Müeller/maternal Möser), in Clinton, Iowa on November 16th, 1934. She lived the first eight years of her life in South Clinton, on S 16th ST, “a block from the river and across the street from the dump,” as she would regale anyone who would listen. She enjoyed the close-knit community in South Clinton, where her housewife mother served on the elementary school board and her third-grade-education father pressed himself to the level of foreman at Climax Engineering. Her family moved to S 17th St and S Bluff Blvd, where her father grew his custom-made, decorative wrought-iron railing business. One of his iron railings is featured around Clinton’s waterfront park fountain. He played banjo with his band on the weekends and jazz great drummer Louie Bellson even sat in, on a couple occasions! Shirley and her sisters were servers to their mother’s catering at special church events. Shirley attended Clinton Zion Lutheran Church with her family and that’s where she met her future husband.
A few years after graduating Clinton High School in 1952, Shirley worked as a switchboard operator at AT&T and married Carl Arthur Mohr, a farmer from Lyons. Mom always joked that instead of an engagement ring, she got the 630 John Deere tractor, which enabled them to start their own farm. After renting a couple different farms, in 1966 they settled on their own farm by Elvira, where she lived all the rest of her days. She was proud that she “farmed right beside [her] husband, as an equal partner.” She also worked hard gardening, canning/freezing and raising two children, Aaron Jay and Brenda Kay. She sewed clothes for her family and, later, relished sewing beautiful costumes for Brenda’s belly-dancing and comedy acts. In their early years, Mom and Dad enjoyed square-dancing with the DeWitt Tower Twirlers.
She and Dad remodeled their 1850’s circa farm house one room at a time, with Mom stripping and refinishing all the woodwork by hand, and Dad ripping out and rebuilding. To stretch that farm dollar, Mom bought antique furniture at auctions and refinished them, and even learned to cane chairs! She always joked that an antique was anybody over 30 years old.
Shirley loved her kitties: from the time she had her first pet cats in South Clinton, throughout her years on the farm, she always took care of the barn cats, and made house pets out of the runts and injured. Mom was gentle with the small and the weak and taught us children to love and care for others. She also volunteered as a delivery driver with Meals on Wheels and enjoyed visiting with the clients.
Shirley took interest in her children’s education and served on the PTA at NE High School. Her love of music led her to be on the board for the Clinton Symphony Orchestra. To attend meetings, she always had a couple wigs ready at-the-go. She’d come in from the field, caked in field dust, take off her stretch terry turban, wash her face, pop on her styled wig, and off she’d go! She never let anything slow her down! Every morning, she’d do her hair and makeup, because, she said, “You never knew who’ll drive up the lane.”
She paid for our braces through Kelly Girl temp jobs and, later, F/T quality control at Ralston Purina plant, extruder line. After seeing her children through school, clarinet lessons, French and piano, and dance and swimming lessons, she returned to school and fulfilled her dream of attending college. She zealously studied photography at Clinton Community College and eagerly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with honors from Mt. Saint Claire College. Afterward, she enjoyed helping the elderly as a trust officer at Clinton National Bank, until her retirement in 2000. Finally, she gratified some of her lifelong desire to travel and RVed for several care-free years.
As of late, Mom could be seen enjoying a sandwich on the Clinton riverfront with her daughter and watching the Mighty Mississippi drift by. She especially thrilled at watching barges navigate the south bridge.
Carl passed on in ’91. Her two older sisters, Joan (LeRoy) Schoenig and Lorraine (Jerry) Ohrt, passed in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Mom kept going, appreciating her independence. She carefully preened her yard and spoiled her precious cats until the very end. Nothing ever deterred her. A highly intuitive woman of quick, sarcastic wit and a soft heart for the underdog, her lessons of genuinely being yourself, caring for others and perseverance will always be with us.
Rest in peace, Mom—you deserve it!!!
Shirley is survived by her cat family, Squirt and Tiggeroo; two children, Aaron (Kathy) Mohr, Phoenix, AZ and Brenda Mohr, Clinton, IA; and a handful of talented nieces and nephews: Mike, Dave and Pete Ohrt; Susie (Dick) Ostert, Sandy (Mark) Dreger and Shiela (Kevin) Carson; Chris and Steve Mohr and Jonathon Mohr.
Memorial Services will be 10:00 am, Monday, June 28, 2021 at the Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory. Visitation will be from 9:00 am until the service time. Burial will be in the Oakland Cemetery.

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