Shirley I. Thorell

Memorial Services for Shirley Thorell will be conducted from the Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Murray Jones officiating. Private family interment will be held at the Moses Hill Cemetery in Phelps County, Nebraska prior to the services.

Shirley Irene Carrie (Cyriacks) Thorell, 84 years of age, of Papillion, Nebraska (formerly of Holdrege), passed away on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at The Cottages at Hillcrest Country Estates in Papillion. Shirley was born on December 10, 1930 on the family farm that her parents built northeast of Gothenburg in Custer County, Nebraska, the younger of two daughters born to Henry Bruno John and Mary Wilheimie (Miller) Cyriacks. Shirley was baptized and confirmed from the Zion Lutheran Church north of Gothenburg, the church of which her grandfather was a charter member. During WW II, she helped her mother and sister bring food to soldiers on trains at the North Platte Canteen. In 1945, both of her parents died; Shirley resided in Gothenburg with relatives, worked in the dime store, and continued her education. Her primary education was in rural Dawson County and then she attended Gothenburg Public Schools. While she was still in high school, Shirley attended Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska from January – August of 1948. Shirley then graduated from Gothenburg High School with the class of 1948. After receiving her Normal training she taught in District #59 rural school near Lexington from 1948-1949, then attended Colorado State College of Education in Greeley during the summer of 1949. Shirley continued her education at Kearney State Teachers College, where she met Leland E. Thorell from Loomis, Nebraska, and on August 4, 1950 they were united in marriage. To this union four daughters were born: Linda, Karen, Diane and Leann. The couple resided in Loomis for a short time before engaging in farming and ranching on her family farm northeast of Gothenburg for six years. In 1958, the family moved to a farm southeast of Loomis where they continued to farm and ranch. During this time, Shirley pursued her Bachelor in Education degree and taught grades 5 & 6 at the R-6 School north of Holdrege for two years. In 1962, Leland and Shirley moved to Holdrege. Shirley then received her Master of Science in Education degree from Kearney, and taught 5 ^th & 6 ^th grades at Lincoln Elementary in Holdrege until 1980. After retiring from teaching, Shirley worked at Thorell Insurance and Real Estate with her husband, Leland.

Shirley was a member of Trinity Evangelical Free Church, where she was active with the WMS and served on the Trinity Childcare Board for several years. She also enjoyed teaching Sunday school, and loved creating special memories with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Shirley enjoyed traveling and always had a special place in her heart for animals.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Leland on February 8, 2011. In January of 2013, Shirley began to make her home in Papillion at the Hillcrest Country Estates.

Besides her parents and husband, Leland; Shirley was preceded in death by her son-in-law, Don Scripter; her sister, Ruby Quitmeyer and her husband, Marvin; sister-in-law, Opal Quitmeyer; brother-in-law, Darrell Thorell and a niece, Letty Quitmeyer.

She leaves to celebrate her life, her four daughters: Linda Miller and her husband, Phil of Bellevue, Nebraska, Karen Swartz and her husband, Jim of Columbus, Nebraska, Diane Scripter of rural Holdrege, and Leann Hock and her husband, Tim of rural Bertrand, Nebraska; nine grandchildren: Valerie Luster and her husband, Troy of Norfolk, Massachusetts, Eric Miller and his wife, Heather of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Kevin Swartz of Columbus, Brooke Johnson and her husband, Kirby of Kearney, Nebraska, Brenda Scripter of Kearney, Letty Graff and her husband, James of Fort Morgan, Colorado, Tracy Hock and his wife, Angee of Kearney, Tertia Cain and her husband, Michael of Fort Morgan, and Laura Armbrust and her husband, Ryan of Alta Vista, Kansas; 17 great-grandchildren: Evelyn and Julia Luster, Lindsay and Courtney Miller, Milo and Zoe Johnson, Hannah, Simon, Jacob and Rachel Graff, Anisten, Kenan, Aizleann and Kyron Hock, Lynden and Daphne Cain, and Henry Armbrust; sister-in-law, Marie Thorell of Loomis; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

A memorial has been established in Shirley's honor and kindly suggested to the Zion Lutheran Church in Gothenburg or the International Essential Tremor Foundation.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.