Blackford, Shirley

Shirley Blackford, 62, of Anamosa, formerly of Marion and Waterloo, died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, at her home, surrounded by her family. A time of remembrance and celebration of Shirley's life, will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at Sally's On Broadway in Springville. Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa, is assisting the family.

Thoughts, memories and condolences may be left at .

Surviving are three daughters, Dana (Stephan) Peterson, Anamosa, Kara (Jon) Dornbusch, Cedar Rapids and Kelci (John Souza) Erne, Seattle, Wash.; two stepdaughters, Angela Wilson, Georgia and Aimee Erne, Cedar Falls; the Blackford extended family; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; five siblings, Eleanor McGowan, Howard and Darwin Foster, all of Waterloo, Myron Foster of Texas and Steven Foster, Solon; and Summer, her little black dog.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Sharon E. Andorf.

Shirley Ann Foster was born March 11, 1951, at Waterloo, Iowa. She was the daughter of Frank and Gladys Sommerfelt Foster. Shirley graduated from Waterloo East High School in 1968. She continued her education at Hamilton Business College and then worked as a medical secretary. She married Ronald Erne at the Little Brown Church in 1972. Shirley worked for Kum and Go in Elk Run Heights and later at Birch Cabinets in Waterloo. In November 1998, Shirley married Ralph Blackford. The couple lived on a farm North of Marion. Shirley was active in the Linn County Cattleman's Association and was activities aid at Milestones in Marion before she moved to Anamosa in 2012. Shirley felt more at home in Anamosa than anywhere else she had lived.

She enjoyed gardening was an avid reader. Her greatest joy was baking cookies with her grandchildren and working on projects with them in her well supplied craft room.

Published in The Gazette Dec. 15, 2013.