Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Shirley Riemer was sent at age five to the D.T. Watson Home for Crippled Children, where she spent four years receiving treatment for polio. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh, and her Master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University, where she developed a passion for education and writing that lasted her a lifetime. Shirley taught high school English for ten years and worked in the field of communications for 22 years in both Harrisburg and Sacramento, supporting publication and parent-teacher negotiations. During her working years, two outside interests obsessed her – the Metropolitan Opera and the wines and culture of Germany. Shirley made over 50 trips to Germany in her lifetime and shared her obsessions through 24 years of editing Der Blumenbaum, and 15 years writing the Mitteilungen publication for the Sacramento Turn Verein. Books she has authored or co-authored include The German Research Companion, and Researching in Germany. Her dedication to the German genealogy community was commemorated with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International German Genealogy Partnership in 2017. One of her most recent topics of interest was “Writing to be Read”, which perfectly captures her commitment to unearthing hidden gems in her research in order to make her articles and stories come alive to her readers.
Shirley lived by two personal beliefs that she often shared:
1. “We go around only once. We therefore have the duty to contribute along the way.”
2. “Never talk about oneself – unless dragged into court to testify under oath.”
Shirley met her future husband, Harry, in college, and had two children, Bonnie and Tom. She is survived by Bonnie, as well as five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She will be buried in a family plot at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Harrisburg by Tom’s side.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Doctors Without Borders are welcomed.
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