Shirley Ray

Mom was born on October 2, 1938 to Melburn and Gertrude Webster, and was raised on a farm in Elizabeth, IL with her three brothers and two sisters. She attended a one-room schoolhouse K-8th grade. When she was 13 years old, she moved to Galena, and worked to put herself through Catholic high school in Dubuque. Though focused and hardworking, she was also fun-loving and spirited. She married the love of her life, Charles Ray, June 9, 1956; they remained happily married for 35 years. Together, they raised four children. Her gentle nature and calming spirit struck the right balance for her family and she kept the roiling bluster of teenagers moving in the right direction toward successful lives as adults.

In addition to her success as a wife and mother, Shirley was an extremely successful and adaptive businesswoman. She was a hairdresser and operated her shop at home for over 30 years. It was the cultural hub of the community. Mom formed many life-long friendships from her years in her shop. In retirement, Shirley and Charles developed an interest in antique collecting and reselling in various markets. After Charles passed away, she learned computer skills and developed an eBay business. She was most proud of her shooting star customer ratings!

She continued the business with her new life partner, Bill Ryan. They worked together and enjoyed the profits on their many travels together. They journeyed around the United States and Canada and were especially fond of the winters they spent in Key West, Florida. They settled in Harvard, IL and Shirley served as an active board member in the homeowners association.

Shirley was known for her style and grace. She enjoyed beautiful clothes, jewelry, hats and loved to wear them out dancing.

We remain grateful for the love and support we received from this beautiful woman; Shirley was our best friend. She befriended everyone we brought into her life and loved them, too. We know she held hands with Charles and her granddaughter, Anastasia, as she danced into eternity. She was also greeted by her parents, her siblings (Howard Webster, Donna Mae Callea, Mary Ellen Welp) and her dear companion, Bill Ryan, as well as her many other relatives and friends who preceded her. She is survived by two brothers, her four children and their spouses, ten grandchildren and spouses, one great-granddaughter. Shirley’s surviving brothers are Irvin Webster of Palm Desert, CA and Marvin (Nancy) Webster of MO. She is also survived by her four children and their spouses: Cynthia and Mark Schauer of Kalamazoo, MI; Michael and Cynthia Ray of Loveland, CO who lovingly cared for Mom in Colorado; Craig and Lisa Ray of Madeira Beach, FL; Jeffrey and Leslie Ray of Wilmette, IL. Her grandchildren and their spouses are Kathryn Schauer and Andrew Russell and Jacob and Lindsey Schauer (Cynthia and Mark), Cody Ray and Alix Richards, Nicholas and Ashley Ray and great-grand daughter, Presley, and Lukas Ray (Michael and Cynthia), Zachary Ray, Alexandra and Charley Hill (Craig and Lisa) and Charlie, Zoe and Samuel Ray (Jeffrey and Leslie). Shirley is also survived by many sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at the Old Towne Hall (54 Brink St, Crystal Lake, IL 60014) on May 26, 2018. We will hold a memorial service at noon followed by a luncheon. We invite all of Shirley’s family and friends to join us. There will be a private internment next to Charles in the Crystal Lake Union Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers we request donations to the Anastasia Elizabeth Schauer Memorial Scholarship for Nursing Education at Western Michigan University (1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-9947.