Shirley Lois Rockstad, age 99, of Ada, MN, died April 27, 2021, at Benedictine Care Community in Ada, where she called home for the past four years.
The firstborn to Gust and Petra (Ramstad) Rockstad, Shirley was born April 5, 1922, and raised on the farm west of Ada. She was baptized at Concordia Lutheran, rural Hendrum where she remained a member until transferring to Grace Lutheran, Ada, for the last third of her life. Shirley was confirmed at First Lutheran in Ada, which later became part of Grace. She was on various boards, taught Sunday School, and was active in the women’s groups.
Shirley attended country school in Hegne Township at Franklin No. 73 and graduated from Ada High School. She was proud of her education at Concordia College in Moorhead, earning a degree in teaching that led to a 30-year career as a Home Economics teacher. Shirley taught at schools in Ulen, MN; Culbertson, MT; Missoula, MT; Tower-Soudan, MN; and Ada. She later served as the Librarian at the Ada Public Library for 13 years until retirement.
Civic-minded, her list of memberships includes the Ada Garden Club, Norman County Historical and Genealogy Society, Ada Centennial Celebration Committee of 1976, Friends of the Library, 20th Century Study Club, the American Legion, and VFW Ladies Auxiliaries, and a supporter of 4-H.
Shirley enjoyed travel, a highlight being her first trip to Norway in the 1950s, meeting and visiting relatives. This led to a hobby of recording family genealogy. Shirley was considered the family historian. She enjoyed baking and sharing kringle with friends and family, and her favorite fish was lutefisk.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Marian; and her brother, Burton.
She is survived by her brother, Howard, Thousand Oaks, CA; sister-in-law, Lorna, Ada; nephews, Kent (Kate), Moorhead, MN; Erik (Gretchen), Ada; Neil (Elizabeth), Ada; and nine great-nieces and nephews.
Funeral: 11:00 AM, Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at Grace Lutheran Church, Ada, MN, following all of the Minnesota and CDC COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. All are encouraged to wear a mask.
Visitation: One hour before the funeral at the church.
Interment: Ada Municipal Cemetery, Ada, MN.
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