Larson, Shirley A.

Shirley A. Larson, 77, of Marion, died Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, at Waverly Heath Center, Waverly. Funeral Service: 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 6, at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Marion, by the Rev. Dennis Johnson. The family will greet friends from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Marion. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.

Survivors include her son, Brian (Jean) Larson of Waverly; grandchildren, Lindsay (Adam) Varney of Cedar Falls, Hillary (Brian) Osterday of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Kelly (Shane) Cross of Waterloo; a great-grandson, Grant Varney; brothers, Sheldon (Betty) Olson of Marion, and Paul (Gloria) Olson of Elkader; sisters, Helen (Lyle) Wagner of St. Olaf, and Donna (Ron) Foels of Elkader; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Ronnie (who died May 11, 2011); sister, Linda Kerkove; brother, Burnell Olson; and two sisters, who died in infancy.

Shirley was born Sept. 6, 1934, on the family farm in Elkader, Iowa, the daughter of Millard and Ona (Christianson) Olson. She graduated from Elkader High School in 1952. On June 1, 1957, Shirley was united in marriage to Ronald Larson in Elgin. She worked for Northwestern Bell for 37 years, retiring in 1989. Shirley then worked part time for the Dairy Queen on Mount Vernon Road in Cedar Rapids from 1989 to 1996. She was a member of Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Marion.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Shirley's memory.

Please sign the online guest book for Shirley at under obituaries.

Published in The Gazette Aug. 4, 2012.