Shirley Rae Shoblom (Harden) passed away on Easter Day, March 31, 2024. She was surrounded by her daughter Cindy and granddaughter Kymberlee at the time of her passing. Born in Ft Lewis, WA, in 1934 to Walter Ralph Harden and Rachel Elizabeth Marcus, Shirley was the second of nine children She helped her mother and grandmother, Mary Ann Mounts Marcus, care for her siblings while her father worked. Shirley was enrolled in the Cowlitz Indian tribe by her mother.
At the tender age of 15, Shirley fell in love with William Heimel and married him in 1950. They moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, William's hometown, where they welcomed three beautiful daughters - Linda Sue, Mary Elizabeth, and Cindy Lou Heimel. However, Shirley missed her home, family, and friends, so she moved back to Olympia and attended Centralia College to receive her GED and nursing degree. She worked as an LPN at the old St. Peters Hospital in West Olympia, where she found joy in soothing her patients.
Shirley met the love of her life, Paul Shoblom, in line at her children's school, and her best friend, Aggie Braget, set them up on a date. They fell head over heels for each other and got married on August 8, 1960, on San Juan Islands Friday Harbor. Together, they had a blended family, as Paul had a son (Paul Michael) and a daughter (Sandra Olivia) from a previous marriage.
Soon after, Shirley and Paul bought Zeigler's Welding and Boiler, the welding business where Paul was a fifty percent owner in downtown Olympia. Paul asked Shirley to give up her nursing career and help run the shop, and she gladly did. Shirley kept the books and kept all the welders in line, which was a job for the "Queen." They owned and operated Zeigler’s Welding for over 30 years before Paul and Shirley retired in 1988.
Shirley and Paul had a happy marriage for nearly 53 years before Paul passed away in 2013. They had many friends and enjoyed camping, boating, fishing, clamming, shrimping, and gathering oysters. They also planted a beautiful garden every year, allowing friends and family to share the garden space. Shirley canned many fruits and vegetables, as well as smoked salmon that they caught.
Shirley was predeceased by her parents, Walter and Rachel, and siblings Ann, Chuck, Walter (Bud), Carol, Tom, and Kenny. She also lost her first grandchild, Eric Wayne Kusener, when he was eight years old, and her daughters Sandra, Mary, Linda, and daughter-in-law Chong.
Shirley is survived by two siblings, Susan O’Donell (spouse Mike) and Michael Harden, sister-in-law Gerri Harden, son-in-law Randy Turner, her daughter Cindy and her spouse Gary, son Michael (late wife Chong), grandchildren Kymberlee Halbert, Justin Crews, Lynzie and Joel Dugar, Tricia and Alvin Shoblom, Douglas Gilmore, Abby Linthicom, and Adam Turner, great-grandchildren Faisal Grassi, Madelynn, Victoria, Casey, and Brianne Halbert, Averee Crews (Hawthorne), Jordyn Crews-Kuenzi, Kydon Crews-Butler, Madeline and Paige Shoblom, and great-grandchildren Alice and Jocelyn. She also leaves behind many nieces and nephews.
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