Shirley L. Carlson

Shirley Louise Carlson, 90, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on March 25, 2025, at Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City.

A celebration of Shirley's life will be held at Lake Okoboji on Saturday, August 2, 2025.

Shirley was born in Newton, IA to Lloyd and Millie Lunde on November 15, 1934. Shirley grew up in Newton, where she was a Maytag Queen candidate, cheerleader, and active in many other school activities. She graduated from Newton High School and attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, where she met her husband of 60 years, Leo E. Carlson, Jr. She was also a proud member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority at Coe.

Shirley married Leo Carlson on September 15, 1956, in the Coe College Chapel in Cedar Rapids, IA. Leo's career took them to Ohio, Wisconsin, and Des Moines before settling in Sibley, IA where they raised their three children: Mickie, Debbie and David. In 1982, they moved to Spirit Lake and in 2010 to Sioux City. In addition to her family and the vacations they enjoyed, Shirley excelled at needlework. She had the gift of hospitality and took pleasure in entertaining and hosting friends and family. She especially enjoyed spoiling her youngest and only son David Leo and his friends. She was extremely creative and liked to do things with a unique twist. Her legendary Christmases, complete with Grasshoppers and Pink Squirrels, were magical and so special to her family.

In the 1970s, Shirley and her good friend Bette Ellerbroek opened The Side Door, a treasure trove of books and gifts in downtown Sibley. They enjoyed running their small business and especially their trips to the Minneapolis Gift Market with Leo and Bette's husband, Jim.

Shirley was a very social lady who enjoyed meeting her friends for coffee/lunch and an occasional glass of wine. She was a prolific reader and shopper. She was a member of PEO and also served as the chapter's President. Shirley had a team of her daughters' friends who loved her and she treated them like her special bonus daughters.

Shirley is survived by her daughters: Mickie Carlson of Des Moines, IA and Deb (Greg) Smith of Jefferson, SD; daughter-in-law, Jennifer Carlson Weller of Farmington, NM; granddaughters: Erica (Tyson) Finders, Erin Greve, and Emily (Dash Saenz) Greve; grandsons: Michael (Leslie) Smith and Matthew Smith; great grandchildren: Trenten, Ashten and Brenden Finders, Taven and Tate Hoskins, Zennon Saenz Greve, Noah, Kate, and Annie Bannwarth and Jack Smith.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Leo Carlson, Jr.; her beloved son David Leo Carlson; sister-in-law DeEtte Duvall and brother-in-law John Carlson.

Because of Shirley, we could always be secure in the strength of family, love and joy.