Shirley LaVon Schakel

Shirley was born on January 13, 1935, in Shaw, Kansas, to Nellie Jewell Umphenour and Benjamin Harrison Umphenour. They moved to Colorado when she was two years old. The family moved about every 3-4 years, so she attended various schools in Longmont and Denver, including the Boettcher School for Crippled Children when she had a lot of heart trouble during her childhood. Shirley graduated from South High School in Denver in 1954 and married Dirk Richard Schakel on November 9, 1957. They were married for 37-1/2 years prior to his passing.

Shirley worked as a supervisor over the administrative staff at Frontier Refining Company and at the Denver Credit Bureau. After she had her daughter, Valerie, she concentrated her efforts on providing a good home for her family and only worked part-time to help support the family when needed.

Shirley was a strong, independent, and kind woman. She suffered from illness for a large part of her life but continued to strive to always do her best for God and her family. As a devout Christian, she gave much of her time to the church, teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir, writing the church bulletins, and assisting the minister with various administrative duties.

She loved music, crafts, cooking, reading, animals - especially her doggies, and writing poetry. Shirley will be remembered for her unwavering faith, her love for her family, her straightforward manner, her laughter and her kindness.

Shirley is survived by her daughter, Valerie Marshall, and her husband, David Marshall, Grandchildren Dirk Benjamin and Zero Eliot Marshall; her sisters-in-law, Joyce Williamson, Anna Shelton, Pamela Munyon, Myrna Stacy (Husband Roger), Diana Schakel and Beverly Umphenour, along with lots of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dirk Richard Schakel; her mother, Nellie Jewell Umphenour; her father, Benjamin Umphenour; her sisters, Martha Bennett (Ted Bennett) and Betty Stedman (Don Stedmen), and her brother, Joe Umphenour.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerchapelhill.com for the Schakel family.