Funeral services celebrating her life will be held at 11:00 AM on Sunday, December 2, at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri, followed by graveside burial at Mount Moriah Cemetery South. Shirley will be laid to rest next to her daughter Amber and sister Bonnie. A special visitation for her Lakeview Village neighbors, longtime friends and family will be held from 6:30 – 8:00 PM on Friday, November 30th at Lakeview Village (Southridge), 14001 West 92nd Street, Lenexa, Kansas
Shirley was born on May 4, 1945 to Edward and Anne Wiens in Hutchinson, Kansas. She was the fourth of five children who grew up in Hutchinson. Shirley found herself a single mother of two shortly after moving to Kansas City. Having little support, Shirley entered the work force where she was a pioneer in her pursuit of being the best working mother. One early job was a new car saleswoman at Van Chevrolet in the days when auto sales was a male-dominated trade. She did well and remained lifelong friends with Cecil Van Tuyl. Her crowning business achievement was co-founding Credit World Services, Inc. While there, Shirley once again entered a male dominated business environment and successfully forged endless solid business associations, buoying Credit World to the top of its industry.
In a life-altering event, she lost her precious daughter Amber in a car accident while Amber was a senior at Shawnee Mission East.
Shirley was a Christian woman dedicated to her faith. She had a revolving door to her large house in Prairie Village open to many. She always had visitors, boarders, family, friends and often stray animals staying with her. She had a big heart that welcomed anyone needing help or a place to stay. She hosted many foreign exchange students and provided her rec room as a neighborhood meeting spot, keeping her kids and their friends out of trouble. This open door policy created life-long bonds and lifetime friendships which were affirmed during her long struggle with COPD, when many of these kids, now adults and 25-30 years later, came by to see her and tell her how much she meant to them.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Anne Wiens, her daughter Amber, her sister Bonnie and nephew Dale Lilleholm. Shirley is survived by her son Todd Chappel, his two boys, Dominik and Alexander; two brothers, Lewis (Susan) and Ronnie (Julie) Wiens; sister Patricia (David) Blackman; and two nieces jointly raised by Shirley, Kimberly (Dale) Lilleholm and Natalie (Kevin) Bright. She also left behind many great nieces and nephews who knew and loved her as their grandmother.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, 4321 Washington Street, Medical Plaza III, Suite 4000, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.
