Shirley Joyce (Madsen) VANDERVORT

VANDERVORT, MADSEN, SORENSEN, DUGGEN, WOLD

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/28/2010 at 13:41:35

November 13, 1925 -- October 16, 2010

CLEAR LAKE, IA - Shirlee Joyce Vandervort, 84, of Clear Lake, died Saturday, (Oct. 16, 2010) at Muse-Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, at Zion Lutheran Church, 112 N. Fourth St., Clear Lake, with the Rev. Dean Hess and the Rev. David Anderson officiating. Visitation will be from 4 until 7 p.m. Wednesday at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. Fourth St., Clear Lake. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to service time on Thursday at the church. Following the funeral service for Shirlee, cremation will take place with inurnment to be held at a later date at the Fairview Cemetery in Dows. The family of Shirlee would like to suggest that those wishing to give a memorial in her memory may wish to consider a contribution to Hospice of North Iowa.

Shirlee Joyce Vandervort was born on Nov. 13, 1925, in Chicago, Ill., the daughter of Thomas L. and Kristine Marie (Sorensen) Madsen. Shirlee graduated from Kelvyn Park High School in Chicago, Ill., with the Class of 1943. After completing her schooling, Shirlee did secretarial work for different companies until moving to Clear Lake with her parents in 1945. Shirlee worked at the State Brand Creameries (now AMPI) until she was united in marriage to her beloved Wayne on May 30, 1952, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake. After their marriage they lived and worked in Hampton, Denver, Colo., Dows, and Des Moines. Shirlee was an administrative assistant and office manager for 11 years for Polk County attorneys until her retirement in 1984. After her retirement they moved back to Clear Lake in 1986, and had spent 22 years wintering in Mesa, Ariz., with many friends, new and old. Shirlee enjoyed sewing, knitting, gardening, dancing, cards, cooking, socializing with friends, but her greatest love and enjoyment was her husband, children and grandchildren.
Shirlee was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church, Zion Lutheran Church Women, Clear Lake Lioness, Clear Lake Woman's Club. In 2005, the ovarian cancer found its way into her body and she thanked the Lord every day for bringing her through this without pain or sickness and for all the prayers that surrounded her from so many … Thanks be to God!!

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband Wayne Vandervort of Clear Lake; her children, Dan Vandervort of Anchorage, Alaska, Gregory (Rosemary) Vandervort of Poway, Calif., Ronald Vandervort of Dows, and Kirsten Vandervort of Des Moines; grandchildren, Sara (Alan) Duggen, Aleisha Vandervort, Eric Vandervort, Emily and Kristina Vandervort great grandson, Bryce Duggen; as well as many nieces, nephews, and many other extended family members and friends. Shirlee was preceded in death by her parents, and a sister, Alice Lucille Wold. Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
October 19, 2010