Elfrieda P. Shirley, born December 24, 1925 in Hallettsville, TX, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on May 24, 2018 at the age of 92. She is preceded in death by her husband, Donald Douglas Shirley; parents, Charles Frederick and Hilda Wangemann Pagel; siblings, Charles F. Pagel Jr., William Reynolds Pagel, Capt. Carl Frederick Pagel, a World War II Purple Heart recipient, and Hilda Marie Pagel Boney. Elfrieda is survived by her daughter, Sharon Shirley Brown; son, Thomas Donald Shirley (Kimberly M.); grandchildren, Mychal Anthony Brown, Sophia Marie Shirley, Colton Donald Shirley; niece Susan Boney Hillman (Gary); and Elfrieda’s faithful canine companion, Ray.
Young Elfrieda, who went by “FiFi”, worked for the Lavaca County Agriculture Dept. before she married Don, a handsome cotton buyer, and soon-to-be petroleum landman that was passing through town. After FiFi and Don married, they moved to San Antonio where Don worked for Tesoro Petroleum Corp. and FiFi assumed her new role as homemaker, devoted wife, loving mother, and ultimately doting grandmother, then earning the nickname “Mimi”. In her later years, Elfrieda resided at Bader House, an Alzheimer’s care facility, where she continued to be her same funny, witty, feisty, and strong-willed self, and her nickname went through one final evolution to “Frieda”.
Elfrieda’s family wishes to sincerely thank Frieda’s Bader House family for their unconditional love and dedicated care which allowed Frieda to spend her last few years in a loving home environment.
Visitation will be held at Sunset Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 29, 2018 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Funeral services will also be held at Sunset Funeral Home on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 3:00 pm, with entombment and reception to follow at Sunset Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
