Shirley A Strang

No service is scheduled at this time. A private family burial will be held, and a full public celebration of life is tentatively planned for the last weekend in June 2025; details will be announced in the QC Times at a later date.

Shirley was born June 30, 1933, one of the six children of Tom and Lulu Mae (Kaden) Smith. She grew up on their farm outside of Palmyra, MO, attending a 1-room country schoolhouse. In 1951, she married Dr. Virgil Strang, with whom she raised 9 children, who she nurtured and supported as a stay-at-home mother. Virgil preceded her in death in 1998. She then had a long-time companion in Darrel (Shorty) Ellis, who passed away in 2020. Shirley and Shorty had many happy years together, wintering in Mesa, Arizona, and developing many friendships as a couple.

Shirley was a remarkable woman whose activities and interests included reading, bowling with her daughters in several leagues, playing bridge, hand-painting yard sculptures, flower gardening, walking in Vander Veer Park, and attending art exhibits at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport and many others. She also enjoyed attending her children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events, concerts, dance recitals, and other activities—of which there were many!

She loved visiting garden centers, flea markets, and thrift shops, always looking for things to gift to her family or to add to her own collections of found treasures. Every holiday found her home crowded with her growing family, who enjoyed the large meals she prepared. She especially enjoyed Christmas, and selected personal gifts for her children, their spouses, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren. She never missed sending a birthday card to anyone (ones that always showed her great sense of humor), even as she got older and her list kept growing.

Through the ups and downs of life, she was calm, resourceful, full of good humor, and a pillar of strength for her family, neighbors, and many friends.

She is survived by her children, Dr. Victor (Charlotte) Strang, Ann Strang-Molloy, Stephen Strang, Karen (Jeff) Hartman, Jeanine (Larry) Richard, Shelly (Phil) McDonald, Dr. Kevin (Sheryl) Strang, Tina (Scott) Jackson, and Brad Strang. She was also blessed with many grandchildren and great grandchildren!

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the "Figge Art Museum"(https://www.figgeartmuseum.org/)

or the "Friends of Vander Veer" (https://www.friendsofvanderveer.org/memorials).