Shirley Schuepbach

Mrs. Shirley R. Schuepbach was the daughter of Rose (nee Vulliet) and Oliver Ulmet Her siblings were Pearl Zilles, “Slim” Ulmet, George Ulmet, “Dolly” Willmann, “Coco” Ulmet, Tom Ulmet, and Warren Ulmet.

Mrs. Schuepbach is survived by her daughters Janet Gillespie (Gene) and Dawn Frierdich (John). Her son Lonnie predeceased her. Her grandchildren are Patrick Gillespie, Tim Frierdich, Liesle Lemke and Dawn Marie Carpenter. Grandchild Lee Schuepbach predeceased her at age three. Her step grandchildren are Joy and Seth Schuepbach. Her great grandchildren are Phillip Gillespie, Miles Frierdich, Teslin Lemke and Wrangle Lemke. She is survived by many nieces and nephews including Jacquelin Barth, Margie Hoffman, Ramona Gilomen, Candee Ulmet, Diane Weise, Tom Ulmet, Susan Craig, Denny Willman, Teddy Willman, and Marjorie Quenelle.

Mrs. Schuepbach worked at the DeMoulin Brothers Company, Moultin Bartley Shoe Company, and Widmar Floral Company (30 years).

Shirley lived to be 104 and that is no small feat. Her dad died of pneumonia when she was 10 and left a widow with 7 kids on a farm in 1932. Her job at that age was to keep the stove stocked and lit with firewood through the night and kill and dress the chickens. The house was so poorly insulated that she would wake up with snow on the covers in winter. She went to a one room country schoolhouse with grades one through eight. She rode a buggy or sled on bad days instead of walking the couple of miles.

She saw the depression and was a war bride with Wilbur enlisting the day after Pearl Harbor. Her son went to Vietnam. Both came back alive. One seemingly little affected by what he saw and the other forever altered by it.

Throughout, Shirley remained resilient, hardworking, accepting and good humored. It was her greatest gift along with her unyielding common “farm” sense. There was a lot to do on the farm, but she rarely complained about the work. She just “got it done.”

She was loved by the people she interacted with and adapted to what could not be fixed on her ever increasingly worn-down body. There is a lesson there. People loved her and will miss her as well as her family.

Visitation and Service for Shirley will be private. See www.spengel-boulanger.com for more information.

Obit Provided By:
Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home