NEHLS, Shirley Marie (Bell, Lynch) 1922-2014

NEHLS, BELL, LYNCH, KRAMBEER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 1/6/2015 at 18:40:23

#1:

Shirley Marie (Bell) Nehls, daughter of Clark and Lettie (Krambeer) Bell, enjoyed over 92 years of life (April 16, 1922-December 28, 2014). Family and friends of Shirley Nehls, please join us to celebrate her life on Saturday, January 10th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Club Room of Hy-Vee East, located at Mason City, Iowa. A remembrance program will start at 11:30 a.m. The family requests that any memorial offerings be given to the Salvation Army.

Sports was a life long passion. While attending Charles City High School, she was very active in playing volleyball, basketball, and softball. She also enjoyed roller skating and dancing. In later years, she learned to golf for leisure and bowl for competition.

While living in Charles City, Shirley was an active member of bowling leagues and belonged to the 600 Club. She continued her successful bowling career after moving to Oregon in 1976. She was a member of the 600 Club in Portland Travel League at Beaverton, Oregon. She competed in several City Tournaments in both Iowa and Oregon, as well as many national tournaments in the United States.

In addition to playing sports, she was an avid spectator of both college and professional sports. While in Oregon, she was a fan of the Portland Trailblazer Professional Basketball team while attending games during the season. Throughout her life, she enjoyed watching televised games whether it be basketball, golf, or bowling. While watching sports, Shirley would crochet doilies and afghans to give to friends and family.

Service and volunteerism to the community was a life-long commitment. While living in Charles City, she was a Room Mother and Band Mother. Shirley taught Sunday School at St. John Lutheran Church in Charles City, and she was an active member of Ladies Aid and Circles, and a Choir Mother. She was also active at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Hillsboro, Oregon, and Light of Life Lutheran Church in Aloha, Oregon.

Much of her volunteer work was with hospitals including Floyd County Hospital at Charles City, Tuality Hospital at Hillsboro, Oregon, and Mercy Hospital at Mason City. At Tuality Hospital, she assisted in taking patients to and from their home to attend appointments at the hospital, doctor offices, or rehabilitation centers. Using her professional experience working in Department Stores, she managed the stock room and merchandise displays at the Gift Shop at both Tuality and Mercy Hospitals.

After returning to Iowa from Oregon in 2000, she continued serving through the Share Program at Mason City. For 10 years, Shirley helped at Mason City City Hall with various clerical activities.

Traveling the world was boundless. Competing in National Bowling Tournaments, she visited many states in the continental United States. She made two trips across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe spending a month in 1990 and three weeks in 1997. Shirley visited historical places in Great Britain, Monaco, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Switzerland, and several other European countries. Shirley was especially fond of Paris. She often told stories about her visit and expressed excitement to visit Paris again.

Shirley Bell Nehls was born on April 16, 1922 in Floyd County, Iowa. She attended grade school in the country and graduated from Charles City High School in 1939 with a Normal Training Certificate to teach country school. She worked for F.W. Woolworths and Ben Franklin at Charles City.

During World War II, she supported the war effort working at a Defense Factory in Minneapolis, making life jackets. After moving to Oregon in 1976, she managed the bath and bedding department at J.C. Penney at Portland, Oregon, until retiring in 1992 at age 70. She returned home to Iowa in 2000, where she spent 14 years at Mason City. In 2014, Shirley moved to Carrollton, Texas, to spend the remainder of life with her son, John Lynch and family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Harold Bell; sisters, Phyllis Petersen, Trudy Smith, and Margaret Smith; grandson Michael Lynch; son-in-law, Eldon Webster, and husbands, Raymond "Buck" J. Lynch and Raymond E. Nehls.

She is survived by her son, John C. Lynch (daughter-in-law Sherry); daughters, Rita (Nehls) Charlson (son-in-law Aaron Jr.), and Karen (Nehls) Webster; granddaughter Michelle Lynch (grandson-in-law Paul Fika), and great-grandchildren David and Nathaniel Fika; grandson, Dr. Dirk Charlson, and step-grandsons Dale Webster and Glenn Webster and their families.

Source: Mason City Globe Gazette, 6 JAN 2015
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#2:

CARROLLTON, TEXAS - Shirley M. Nehls, 92, of Carrollton, and formerly of Charles City, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014, in Baylor Carrolton hospital.

Shirley was born April 16, 1922, in Rockford, Iowa, the daughter of Clark and Lettie (Krambeer) Bell. She was married to Raymond (Buck) Lynch in 1939. They had one child, John Lynch. Buck passed away in 1943. In 1946 Shirley married Raymond Nehls. They had two children, Karen Rae (Nehls) Webster and Rita (Nehls) Charlson. Shirley worked at Woolworth's and Ben Franklin in Charles City for several years. She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. Shirley was very good at crocheting. She spent many hours doing this.

Shirley was a consummate bowler. She went to many National tournaments. She won several awards over the years. She kept a collection of medals and trophies in her multipurpose room in her basement in Mason City

In 1974, Raymond Nehls passed away. She visited her daughter, Karen in Aloha, Oregon. While visiting there, she decided to work over Christmas. She worked the Christmas Season at J.C. Penneys. After Christmas, Shirley returned to Iowa. She liked Oregon so well, she decided to move there. She returned to Charles City and took care of her personal matters. She then returned to Oregon. Upon returning to Oregon, she was hired full time at the Tigard, Oregon, J.C. Penney store. Shirley worked there until 2000 when she decided to return home to Iowa. She moved back to Mason City.

In 2014, she moved to Carrollton to live with her son, John, and wife, Sherry. While in Texas Shirley attended the Carrollton Wind Symphony concerts with her family. She attended her granddaughter's (Michelle Lynch) wedding in Lewisville, Texas. She also attended many functions with Michelle and her family. She attended several school functions for her great-grandsons, David and Nathaniel.

Shirley was survived by her daughters, Rita (Aaron) Charlson of Forest City; Grandson, Dirk Charlson of Volga, South Dakota; daughter Karen Webster (Eldon deceased) of Sun City, Arizona, and son John Lynch and wife Sherry of Carrollton, granddaughter Michelle (Lynch) Fika and husband Paul of Lewisville, Texas, and great-grandsons David Fika, Nathaniel Fika, and Alex Mundy, of Denton, Texas. Step Grandmother to Dale Edward Webster, Glen E. Webster and Leslie (Webster) Haver.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Raymond (Buck) Lynch and Raymond Nehls, grandson Michael Lynch, siblings: Harold Bell (Oregon), Phyllis (Bell) Peterson (Oregon), Margaret (Bell) Smith (Iowa), and Trudy (Bell) Smith (Iowa).

Interment will be at 10:30 a.m. June 13 at Riverside Cemetery, Charles City.

Source: Mason City Globe Gazette, 3 JUN 2015