Shirley "Diane" Prusa

Shirley "Diane" Prusa, 57, of Sioux City died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006, at a Sioux City hospital following a lengthy illness.

Memorial services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel, with the Rev. Paul Gunderson officiating. There will be no visitation. Condolences may be sent online to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Shirley was born Sept. 15, 1949, in Sioux City, the daughter of Howard and Thelma J. (Johanson) Watkins. She attended Sioux City schools and graduated from Western Iowa Tech Community College with an associates degree as a electrical technician.

She married Jerry Prusa on Nov. 8, 2003, in Sioux City. She was employed at Gateway as a trouble shooter until her retirement.

She was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church. She was the current chaplain of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post 1973. She also was a 35-year member of the Eagle's Auxiliary. She loved spending time with her family. She enjoyed riding motorcycles, camping and fishing. She also enjoyed playing card games -- cribbage and euchre were her favorites.

Survivors include her mother and stepfather, Thelma J. and Ed Brown of Sioux City; her husband, Jerry Prusa of Sioux City; a son, Andrew Nelson of North Sioux City; a stepdaughter, Amy Nelson of Illinois; two sisters, Alice and her husband, Jim Johnson of Sioux City and Nancy Borrink of Sheldon, Iowa; an uncle; three aunts; and several nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Howard Watkins; and a brother-in-law, Gary Borrink.